First, I would like to give a disclosure: The feelings expressed here are not representative of the beliefs of MTC, its administrators, or affiliates. These are my own thoughts, representative of my own beliefs and opinions, being expressed in the form of free (spirited) writing.
This summer, I worked as a summer school teacher for Holly Springs High School, teaching Biology I to five students. At first thought, I did not believe working with such a small classroom size during a two-month period (where the students & teachers are overwhelmed with work) would be representative of the regular school year. I did, however, believe that the experience would be a great precursor to the regular school year, giving myself and other teachers the opportunity to deal with classroom situations on a small scale, before having to deal with those same problems with a much larger classroom size. So, I believe that being a summer school teacher in itself was very helpful in ironing out those "wrinkles" before the Fall.
This summer, I worked as a summer school teacher for Holly Springs High School, teaching Biology I to five students. At first thought, I did not believe working with such a small classroom size during a two-month period (where the students & teachers are overwhelmed with work) would be representative of the regular school year. I did, however, believe that the experience would be a great precursor to the regular school year, giving myself and other teachers the opportunity to deal with classroom situations on a small scale, before having to deal with those same problems with a much larger classroom size. So, I believe that being a summer school teacher in itself was very helpful in ironing out those "wrinkles" before the Fall.
And a great job at it, if I don't say so myself. Everyone who knows me knows that I am my worst critic. So, when I say that I've improved, I must have been motivated to say so. Need proof? I have 50 minutes and 18 seconds of footage (footage that is STILL painful to watch...read "Picture Me Teaching" for more info) to prove it!
The video recording of my lesson for July shows that not only has the delivery and break-down of my content improved, but my entire demeanor in front of the classroom has changed. I appear more comfortable and confident and I do a sort of "half-turn" when writing on the board, so my students don't even dare talk lest they want to see my evil stare (moo ha ha ha!). Also, my students appear more comfortable interacting with me when I ask questions; whereas before, I had to randomly call on students for participation.
Another improvement I noticed was in my transition from different activities during the class period. Before, I would leave too much room for classroom management problems because the students weren't working while I was getting prepared for the next topic/activity in the lesson. Now, I can notice a definite change in the flow of my lesson, where free time is a minimum and working/learning is are occurring. I'm still a little shaky in this area, but I have almost eliminated any down-time from my class periods.
All in all, I'm on my way to being what I consider an ideal teacher!
Okay, okay. I'll be the first to admit that I can be a beast at arguing a particular point, and a house cat when it comes to formulating the correct questions to support that point. The basis of my teaching stems from my own accounts of the relevance of the material. And I just ask my students over and over (and over & over...) again, whether or not they comprehend what I've stated. So, how do I know my students understand? Most of the time, I don't know. And most of the time, they don't understand.
My team leader for the second session of summer school at Holly Springs High School, Ashley Johnson (aka- AJ), is awesome! She's just as great as - if not better than - my self-proclaimed OCD team leader from the first summer session (thanks J. Fiel!). Truthfully, I have learned much of the same aspects of teaching from both teachers, which reiterate the importance of mastering these skills:
One cup of Coffee: ~ $1/day
(with gas tax, ~$3/day)
One Breakfast of Champions: ~ $2/day
(champions = teachers)
Finally getting sleep after a day of teaching, disciplining, classes, and the dreaded "LP" words (lesson planning): PRICELESS!
Some things aren't important in life. For every thing else, there is teaching.
When I began watching the video of myself teaching, my first reactions were those which I cannot disclose here (lets just say, there were some body parts that appeared way larger). It took me a weekend and three days to watch the remaining footage. I had to force myself to watch the rest, because I just couldn't take my eyes off this enormous body part; consequently, I can't imagine a class full of teenage boys resisting the urge either. So, the first thing I realized I needed to do was exercise more. I'd be way more healthy and I'd have a better chance of my students focusing on the material we uncover in class, instead of focusing on me.