Middle School Stressin'

Being a part of a 6^th grade classroom has never been as frustrating as it was this week. I have been in many middle school classrooms over the past few years tutoring and volunteering with my step father’s special education class. As demanding and draining as those long days of intensive care were, Monday stressed me out more than any of those days ever have. I was placed in the back corner of a 6^th grade class packed with students who had just finished lunch and were not at all enthusiastic to be sitting in math.

For me, I see the need to constantly give elementary school students reminders and ample opportunities to correct their behavior. However, I hold middle school students to a completely different standard. As immature as I knew they would still be, I did not expect the students to be still undergoing the attitude change to the extent that this class was. Many of the kids were restless, moving in and out of their seats. A few of these were also constantly distracting their peers with verbal outbursts and motioning to one another. At one point, one of the students that was sitting close to my table was even sitting in the floor.

My clinical educator did her best to maintain her composure throughout this class. As much patience as I thought I had, I am beyond impressed with how she handled their occasional chaos without even raising her voice. Not once did she seem angry with any of her students. Instead, she showed them constant grace as she corrected them. She even let a couple things slide. Initially, this bothered me. I had imagined myself with a much more strict response, establishing high expectations and not ever settling for anything less.

Looking back, however, I recognize how wise these decisions were. Taking time to correct every little detail would have been counterproductive and even more of a distraction to the class. This showed how conscious she was of every minute’s worth. As I walked around during their independent practice time, I recognized how effective her lesson was regardless of all of the distractions. Some students were flying through the worksheet while others worked slowly and steadily. However, everyone was getting correct answers and demonstrated an understanding of the process that was getting them there. The few times that I addressed raised hands ended up in the student and I talking through the problem and resulted in success.

Despite this class’s difficulties and frustrations, I found this observation to be extremely beneficial. Although my degree is secondary math, my ultimate goal is to teach special education at the middle school level. I want to be their voice in that world of insecurity, misunderstanding and identity establishment. Through this observation, I was able to get a small glimpse of some of the challenges I will unquestionably face. While it was a little disheartening to see how trying it would be, it was also reassuring because I realized just how much strong middle school teachers are needed. I am extremely blessed by God’s calling for me in middle school special education and I can’t wait to see what else is in store!

Secondary Ed with a Love for Second Grade

Today, I entered a classroom for the first time. When I say this, I don’t mean that I’ve never physically been in a class before (I wouldn’t be here if that was the case). I have been in plenty of my own classes as well as those that I tutored throughout my high school and freshman year of college career. I mean that this was my first experience in a classroom as an official future teacher. As nerve wracking as it was to enter a classroom knowing I too was being observed, I was extremely excited to see what was in store.

This excitement only increased when I discovered that over a third of the students in the 2^nd grade class I was observing were from the 1^st grade classroom I tutored in just last year. Seeing their smiling faces as they recognized me on their way in cured all anxieties I was feeling towards being in a new room. It was an instant reminder that I wasn’t coming to the classroom for myself but for them. As much as teaching is something I am pursuing because I enjoy it, it should more so be about making it a meaningful and enjoyable experience for my students. A teacher’s job is to selflessly give so that his or her children are successful.

Other than the simple joy of seeing familiar faces and being able to assist at two math stations (Yes, I nerded out a little bit), my main take away from today’s observation is how impressed I am with my clinical educator’s class management. Some of her students were separated into two primary learning groups for reading and vocabulary where the two teachers could give personalized attention to each student. The other students were split amongst four, smaller stations for individualized practice. While those at the smaller stations were not with the teacher directly, they followed instructions without disrespect. Even students that I knew struggled to pay attention last year were doing as they were told without complaint. For me, this was a shock.

Watching my more energetic students follow instructions seamlessly showed me just how important it is to establish expectations for what is and isn’t acceptable in the classroom. It was evident that the atmosphere my clinical educator had created was both understanding and demanding of respect. This was also shown in how she monitored the group sharing an iPad for any conduct issues (i.e. not sharing, on the wrong game, etc). As I look ahead, having an aura similar to this is one of my goals. So many students I know zone out or goof off in their math classes because they are either lost or hopelessly bored. When I have my own classroom, I hope to engage my students in such a way that they can enjoy their growing process.

A New Attitude

              As deep as my Education 250 class gets during each meeting, I constantly leave with many large “takeaways” on the topics and concepts we discuss. Although the session ends for the day, my brain continues on, digesting all that has been introduced to it. This week, however, has been vastly different. We only met as a class once due to our professors’ conference and our need to work on our philosophy projects.

A great deal of this class time was spent in preparation for our first clinical experience. We discussed logistics, expectations and how/when we will be debriefing. It is incredibly hard to believe that we will be making our first venture to a local elementary school. There, we will attend various classes and observe the different teaching styles and overall atmospheres set in the rooms. While I have tutored in elementary school classrooms before, I am extremely excited to return looking through a new lens. My hope is that I will have a heightened perception of the different aspects of a teacher so that I may see things I have never seen before. I believe this will primarily be due to all that I have learned over the short month that I have spent in Education 250. I already feel as if I am approaching education with a completely refreshed mindset and I am eager to see how it will affect my direct classroom experience.

While this conversation gave me great encouragement and a lot to process, my brain has been fixated on one claim Dr. Parker made within the first fifteen minutes of class.

“Teacher education is like medical school.” –Jason Parker

Although it was probably meant as a small warning to take our clinical experiences seriously, I have taken it to mean so much more. Being a teacher is a serious profession. Even though many have belittling views due to negative experiences during their own schooling or the salary associated with it, teachers have a great deal of responsibility.

As future teachers, we have the power to care for others from many angles. We have the power to empower future generations as they grow to eventually take charge. We have the power to impact our children in ways that can change their lives from negativity and struggle to optimism and strength. For these reasons, it is not something to be taken lightly. Becoming a teacher means becoming an example for how we want the future to look and what values we want to be upheld. Therefore, it is only appropriate to train rigorously so that we are well prepared for whatever obstacles we will face. Although it’s hard and the workload is rough, it is worth every step of the journey.