I now have one 2 hour class session and one 2 hour student teacher meeting under my belt.
And I believe I am in love.
I believe I made the right choice.
I know I made the right choice.
I wasn't so sure while I was in syllabus writing hell. And it was hell.
The last few weeks have allowed me to make some great and noteworthy observations. Although not new to these sorts of observations, I still found them worth pondering.
1. When you are new to an organization, members of that organization make a lot of incorrect assumptions about what you know and who you know.
2. When you are new to an organization and have questions, and feel some urgency about getting answers, the peeps already familiar don't feel your same urgency and because they are really busy getting the school year under way they don't respond in a timely manner... if they respond at all.
3. It's scary starting anew, but man, is it exhilarating!
4. We are not doing a good job in teacher training programs. The students are starved for relevant information, practical strategies. Theory only takes you so far.
5. After gathering information about student needs, I realize the original timeline and topics to be explored need adjusting. I feel very strongly about giving my students what they need. They know where they feel unprepared. They know what they need to become effective teachers working with their preferred population. Well, they sort of know. How can they really know?
6. Training students to become independent thinkers and inquisitive learners when they are used to simply getting assignments done so they can check them off the to-do list is going to be no easy task.
7. I love having a captive audience! My goodness, isn't it great to be able to finally tell it like it really is and hope to effect some change in practice, philosophy and beliefs?
I am looking so forward to a weekend full of planning.
I have a renewed hope about what I can do on behalf of kids. I was so afraid I would not feel this way once I left my direct service role.
Whew!
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I know someone in the very same situation as you, and I thought for sure that she, like you expressed, would be utterly relieved when she saw how things were going to be compared with the unknown she experienced before hand. I really hope she reads your blog.
ReplyDeleteBravo to you for having the courage to leave a dysfunctional institution and apply your genius to another setting where people are at least supposed to listen. If just one person picks up on your truth you will have succeeded.
ReplyDeleteYou go, Super Teacher Woman! You might include cautionary tales to students regarding trying to make over a program while student teaching. It never works. They can learn a lot from observing a poor teacher (as in what NOT to do), but don't say it in front of the people who write your references.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if one teacher comes into the school district with your knowledge internalized, it'll be so good!