I was very thrilled this morning...the direction of the winds have changed. So...yesterday, I was so bummed out that I didn't check any of my emails. Last night was also the first day of class for this winter quarter which left me in a positive mood because I absolutely LOVE my classes.(note: I have been going to school since fall, 2009. I aced it!)
I checked my email this morning and lo, and behold, I got the okay from the school district to have my practicum with the teacher that I interviewed with before the winter break. I called her and shared my excitement with her. She said she thought she and I were a good match. I was in cloud 9. Finally...a step into my desired career. Th-e one that I've been waiting for all my life. I get to be inside an actual classroom learning to teach older children!
I went in this morning. It was an hour later from the time the bell rung because I had to get ready, dressed to the nines. The class was unbelievably overwhelming. Not just the class, but I got to see firsthand how a class is conducted by a professional. I did volunteer in the past as a parent-volunteer in my children's classrooms, but this is sooooo much more different. The dynamics are truly classroom-oriented.
My main objective today was to simply observe the teacher and get to know her routine. I have a notebook and I think I wrote in every little detail that she did: techniques in her classroom management (my main concern), her differing models of teaching, her class routine...I mean EVERYTHING! I bought a new notebook and my notes took up more than half the notebook. One of the children thought she's never seen someone wrote that much before (they do have interns/observers/guests come through on a daily basis).
I do have to say that my experience in my ex-job did pay off. There was a lot of writing involved, most particularly about every single child in the classroom. This was done on a daily basis. So with that attained experience, I am used to writing a lot. Like now. ;)
It was quite thrilling to see the children really involved and engaged in their work because their energetic teacher was a no-holds-barred kind of a person. She was often on the move. It's amazing to see that she's able to keep the entire class under control. I do have news, though...she said that this is the first time that this group of children were in control. "Must be your presence," she whispered across the room to me. She later explained to me that the children were never in control. They were "...not the most behaved" kids she's ever had in her 10 years of teaching at this school.
One time they did a little activity where they made little parachutes and let them go from the second floor. She expected the children to be fighting for space, or pushing or shoving each other on the balcony (although that has never happened before) because they seem to be those kind of kids; instead, they were making fun of how each or the other person's parachute sailed. She was taken aback by their behavior.
The rest of the day went really well. I spent only half day there as it was the minimal requirement for my practicum studies. Because I showed up an hour later, I will come back tomorrow to observe her early part of the morning.
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