Skip to main content

Back to Middle School

This week I started my fieldwork at a middle school in Stockton. There is a requirement for my education program at University of the Pacific that I must put in so many hours observing a classroom, and this semester I will eventually have to record my own lesson. I did something similar to this last semester, but it was for English CP 12 at a high school. Very different settings.

I chose to observe a middle school classroom because I have decided last semester that I want that to be my focus when I get my credential. Working with my team of middle schoolers at Changeist, I have decided THIS is my age group to work with. 

My Cooperating Teacher (CT) is in her mid-twenties. She is spunky, has a bunch of strings of lights hanging around her classroom, and there are a lot of posters on the walls- some to help her students with their writing, and others that are political and low-key callout the education system. On the second day I was in her class, a student said that they left their homework at home. An age old trick. She then asked the student if she could check their backpack. They said no. Then, next thing I know, my CT pulls out a crumbled unfinished paper from the bag, and screams "AH-HA! I FOUND IT!" Instead of shaming the student for not finishing their work, she tells the student to not lie next time and gives them time to finish their work.

My personal experiences in the classroom this past week have been... insightful. The same students who yell insults at me are the same ones coming up to me after class and thanking me for being there and asking when I'll be back. If there is one thing I've learned, to be around middle schoolers takes quick-wit to talk with them, but not harsh-wit because that will make them cry. I think one of my favorite quotes from the students this week was, "Miss Malone, your backpack is REALLY cool, but you're REALLY tall." What the two have to do with each other, I have no clue. Another one was, "Miss Malone, your hair looks like ___'s diarrhea" to which I responded, "Why are you looking at his diarrhea?" This response led to the student's group yelling "WOOOAHHHHH."

I'll try to get some pictures of my CT's classroom this week to show y'all the experience that it is. I am truly excited to be in her classroom for the rest of the semester. I have a lot to learn from her. Her students are able to goof around, but also highly respect her at the same time. She's also a resource to them, they're comfortable with confiding in her. She's definitely giving me some good mentor vibes as I enter my teaching journey. 

Until next time, 
Liz

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A colleague once shared on Facebook a graphic that said, "Students have to Maslow before the can Bloom." This is in reference to the Bloom's Taxonomy of Verbs learning model and the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If you are unfamiliar with these two terms, Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchal model used to create learning objectives for students. Maslow's Hierarchy is also a hierarchal model, but is used to build up a child's worth and confidence within the classroom. This graphic resonated with me strongly because it is something that I believed in before I had the vocabulary to describe my approach to educating youth. From my experience with children, and even with people in a work setting, people need to feel secure and supported before they can be properly challenged. If a student is having struggles at home, they are more likely to be less in tune with the lesson, as well as act out. It is our goal as educators, and leaders of youth, tha
Post a Comment
Read more

Social and Emotional Learning

Today we are going to talk about social and emotional learning. This type of learning applies to any educator, parent, children, and everyone in between. Social and emotional learning is when people are taught how to manage themselves socially and their emotions. Normally in children's lives, adults teach children how to act, that is why it is important that we as adults are good role models and show students how to control themselves emotionally- even when a situation gets difficult.  As people in students' lives, it is necessary to be a resource for students and to listen to them- to create a safe space for them. When we do this, students will feel more comfortable sharing their own experiences, which will then in turn allow us to aid the students in their learning. This also relates to one of my blog posts I've done before, where I talk about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and why they are necessary in a classroom .  I think it is highly important to know your ow
Post a Comment
Read more