A Pleasant Surprise

Hello Bloggers!!

I feel like it has been for-e-ver (Sandlot anyone??) since I have updated! I get mad at my student teaching friends because they never find time to update their blogs, and now I am becoming just as bad as they are and I'm not even student teaching yet! Ahhhh!!!! Block C is somewhat overwhelming my life right now...planning out year long management plans, preparing for an Economics Social Studies Unit, writing math observation papers, and attempting to study for my Literacy mid-term are some things that have been consuming my time. However, I did get a break this past week from the hustle and bustle of the tedious "homework" to actually go out into the schools and meet my kiddos for this semester! (Or should I say, young ladies and gentlemen of the semester...aka, 6th graders).

After getting my Block C Practicum placement, (6th grade...arghhh) I was somewhat disappointed. I had been building this semester up in my mind to be an increidble experience full of joy and excitment from my students, and then the bomb was dropped. 6th grade. This was by FAR and away my very last choice for grade preference. Not only do I not feel confident with the 6th grade curriculum, but I am at a loss for words with these kids. Hormones are raging at this age, the boys are taking an awkward interest in girls, and the attitude is at its finest. To say the least, I was dreading my first day of practicum orientation this past week.

After arriving in my classroom and having the students stare at me like, "Who the heck are you and why are you in my classroom taking up space?" (yes, that is literally what the looks on their faces indicated), my eyes were suddenly opened to a whole new world. My cooperating teacher, Mrs. Olberding, quickly came over and shook my partner and my hand's and introduced herself. Mrs. O has been teaching for nine years, and this is her 4th year in 6th grade, so she is now considered a veteran teacher. She sat down with us and instantly started reading up on our semester requirements and finding ways that she could make our lives easier. So far, so good. Even if I hated the students, I had a great teacher who knew what was going on. I could already tell I was going to learn so much from this seasoned teacher.

After getting our Social Studies unit topic (Economics...yes!! I was so relieved....this option was way better than Ancient Greece, Sparta, and the Incas and Aztecs..yuck!) Mrs. O also came up with some strong, engaging, literacy topics for us to teach the 6th graders as well (Similies vs. metaphors, propoganda, stereotypes, and bias, drawing conclusions and making inferences, and persuasive text). At this point, I began to calm down and told my blood pressure it no longer needed to sky rocket...maybe this semester would go better than I had prepared for. However I was still nervous about these students who were still, (yes, still) staring at my partner and I with eyes that looked like daggers. Half of these kids could probably beat me up in a matter of seconds, so you understand my fearfulness!

As I began making small talk with numerous students, I began to actually like these students. Not love, but like. I was refreshed at the thought of how independent they were, how I could carry on a conversation with them as a real person, and how intuitive they were. I quickly saw that although I hope to teach them so many valuable things, I know I will take much more away from this experience than they will.

So no, this semester is not going to go as planned. It won't be a dysfunctional semester with scattered lessons, a bad cooperating teacher, and horrific students. Rather, it will be a well planned experience with phenominal engaging lessons, an incredibly talented teacher, and students who are ready to learn and offer me their wisdom. I can't wait to go back in November and actually start teaching these kids! More to come on this exciting new teaching adventure, so stay tuned!!

Until then,

Brittany