Junior High

Since day three of student teaching I've had the pleasure (or perhaps sometimes the pain) of teaching eighth grade.  As I have mentioned in previous posts I am working under three different cooperating teachers.  Although this is not an ideal situation in some respects I have remained positive that gaining experience from three very different teachers will only aid my knowledge and abilities to be a great future teacher.  Well, that's what I tell myself at least...

Being a student teacher is fabulous in so many ways, but it doesn't come without its problems.  I feel the need to warn future student teachers that at times you feel completely out of place and wonder if you'll ever convince the students to buy into you as a legitimate educator.  Each of my five classes have their own dynamics that I'm learning to understand and figure out how to tweak my methods to harness the uniqueness of each class in order to capture their attention.  Easier said than done.  Out of all of the classes I believe that junior high is the most unique...okay, their slightly crazy, but crazy in every wonderful, often inspiring, keep-you-on-your-toes, just like they should be type of way.

I didn't expect to take over a class on day 3 of the school year, but felt at the time that the opportunity was one that I should seize and take advantage of.  The CT for eighth grade also serves as the first grade teacher for the first half of the day, as well as the librarian, elementary computer teacher, and elementary library teacher.  Phew!  When working in a rural school it is insisted upon that each teacher wears many hats and is able to multitask.  Still, I think I'd like to work in a small school and am ready for the challenge that it brings.  The CT has 30 or more years of teaching experience and I'm sure that I can learn a plethora of methods for both teaching and managing a classroom, unfortunately this particular elementary certified CT doesn't want to teach junior high.  In fact, on day three she said to me, "I never wanted to teach high school and that's why I'm not a high school teacher."  I shook my head to let her know that I understood and volunteered that junior high is my area of special interest and I would be as much help as she would like me to be.  In my mind I began to empathize for the students and my heart silently broke because a teacher who feels no passion and has no interest in teaching can certainly influence the students...for the worse.

At first the class was being held in the library at a small table that only held six out of seven students, leaving one to sit at a nearby computer with little work space.  The chairs had wheels that only fueled the students desire to constantly be in motion.  I love junior high and all of the crazy-have-to-touch-my neighbor-at-all-times attitude that comes with the typically hyper students, but the environment was a tad bit ridiculous.  A few days into teaching I worked out a different classroom arrangement and have since felt like I had a tad bit more control of typical teenage behavior.  So, there I was one week into student teaching and was already planning lessons, unit, and basically everything the students would be doing until my time was up.  My CT was around, but offered little insight into what I was teaching, or how I was teaching it.  At times I felt as though she was just waiting for the school to take the eighth graders away from her so she could concentrate on her other classes.  I began to wonder what the students thought about their situation and what effect switching teachers had on them, or if they even cared.  As of now the students will be with me until the end of November and then the CT will take them back until mid-January.  For the second semester of the school year they will be with my primary CT.  I worry because I believe that students at this age are learning a lot and a lot is expected of them and will continue to be as they enter high school and so on.  Plus, while they are in this time of transition they still need a sort of emotional attachment to their teacher.  I hope I can connect with them and I believe that I can, but what happens when I leave?

Plainly put, my eighth grade classroom can often turn chaotic in a second.  I do my best to "manage" behaviors and outbursts, but it doesn't come easy.  These students were initially read a set of rules on the first day of class and really had no clue what was expected of them.  After the holiday I introduced my own set of rules, consequences, grading system, and expectations.  I believe that students need to know where they stand in a class and what is expected and it needs to be in writing.  How can a teacher expect her students to perform and behave in a specific manner if they don't know how?  Or, if it was only quietly told to them on day one?  They can't and therefore they didn't.  Since introducing my rules and speaking to the students about my desire for them to be successful has helped improve our classroom environment.  Day by day it gets better.

Week three brought even more responsibilities when I added seventh grade to my plate, as well as sophomore English.  I'm constantly planning, printing worksheets, grading, speaking with students, thinking about the future, attending staff meetings, and trying to cope with an online class as well as my student teaching portfolio.  Phew!  My days go by fast and I still am waking up excited to go to "work."  Another challenge has been adapting to junior high and then changing my stride to high school.  I wish I would have had the insight years ago to broaden my practice lesson planning to more than just grades 9-12.  And, there are so many things I want to do with my students, but the ever growing list of standards, testing, and student absences make the fun projects difficult.  It truly is a balancing act.

My primary CT has turned out to be a fabulous help.  Many days she has stayed after school for hours to talk to me about students, situations, hypotheticals, my fears, and desires.  I wish I could say that same for the eighth grade CT.  Knowing that she really doesn't want to be in the class has also taken its tole on me.  At times she acts as though the students are little demons!  She will tell me that I am being too easy on the students, but doesn't offer ways to more strict and demanding.  It's difficult when I am trying to control the classroom and she walks in , sits down, and interrupts with threats to the students.  They are confused and I feel as though the authority has been taken from me.  A student needs a teacher that he/she can trust and listen to.  I'm trying to be that teacher even when it means calling out their misbehavior and letting them know that I am disappointed in them.  However, when I don't have that opportunity and someone else is issuing detention threats I can't be the trustworthy teacher because I'm expected to carryout someone the demands of someone else.  The best advice that I received about consequences came from my practicum teacher last semester when she said, "If you have rules then you need to have consequences; and whatever that consequence might be you need to be ready to issue it the first time.  If you don't then you'll lose their respect and you may never get it back."  I'm a believer.

A highlight of grade eight thus far has been the first big test.  I was nervous for my students and afraid that a few of them would perform below average due to their inability to turn in their work.  Last Thursday I gave them a 50 point vocabulary test that covered the unit vocabulary as well as commonly missed words from the beginning of the year diagnostic exam.  I became elated as I graded the tests when I saw that they performed MUCH higher than I expected.  In fact, 6 out of 7 students earned an A or A+ on the test.  What did I learn from this you ask?  For starters, have faith in your students until they given you reason to doubt it, but then keep trying anyway.  Also, pick your battles with classroom behavior and how it may or may not reflect a students grades.  So maybe a few students act out or seem to pay little attention while you are teaching...don't give up hope...especially not during the first few weeks.

This past Tuesday I had mini conferences with each student.  I decided to review all of their grades, what they were great at and what I thought could use a little improvement.  It was also a time for the students to tell me anything they needed to get off of their chest, what they liked and disliked about the class and me, and a time to find a common ground.  I hoped they couldn't see the tears of excitement and joy that were building up in my eyes.  Shortcomings and all, I really am proud of them and I do care about them.  Conferencing with each student also gave me a time to ask about how their sports and hobbies were going and to share a little about myself with them.  I really think a connection has been made, but realize that it is going to take a lot more work than one mini conference.  I'm excited to see the eighth graders grown over the next two months and I hope that maybe I can visit again in the spring to see just how mature I know they will become.

I apologize for the delay in my blog posts and I'm trying to manage my schedule in a way that allows me to set aside a few moments each day to reflect in writing the amazing experience I am having.  Aaron Yost, a former professor of mine from last semester encouraged me to keep writing throughout my teaching...to keep reflecting and living in the moment of educating young minds.  I often consider the writing that I did for him and compare it to this mere blog and am disappointed in myself, but like I tell my students...you have to put the words down and have to start somewhere.

It just gets better all the time...