Bringing the Heat

Yesterday was the first time that I've ever had to raise my voice in a classroom setting. Before yesterday, every moment of discipline was able to be handled individually or through patiently waiting for students to stop talking. But my period 4 class would not have it this way.

It was my first day with Period 4 - World History C level (which stands for standard college prep).They are somewhat disrepctful to my cooperating teacher and certainly apathetic with regard to the material. Another trait that they have distinguished about themselves is their committment to cheating on any and every form of assessment. All these things combined have yielded  a class of failing students that have no intention of passing.

As a student teacher finally taking over, most students have an impression that I will be weak, easy to manipulate and soft when it comes to discipline. While showing much grace, they certainly understimated my other side of justice. I tried everything from quietly bringing them back to focus to staring at the clock untill they quited down. Nothing worked. And even if I did manage to begin teaching the lesson, specific students would make comments about what I was teaching in order get a rise out of the rest of the class. One student in particular would not yield any form of respect, denying my authority and continually telling jokes amidst my lesson.

I was careful to not to discipline out of an emotional reaction. It was clear, to the point, and effective. In summary, I boomed something along the lines of, "Listen up. You may think that you can walk all over me because I'm a student teacher. Let me assure you, I will not stand for this. I expect the same respect that Mr. Sheremeta is given and even more because I am a guest to your classroom. (Addressing the problem student) Why are you laughing? Is this funny for you? No one else finds this to be amusing. I have no problem throwing you out of the class right now and keeping you in ISS for the next week. Shape up, you're better than that."

Calmly yet sternly, I had managed to assert control over the class and present myself as the authority in the classroom. The rest of the period ran smoothly as students listened and took notes. We'll see if the atmostphere lasts to today.

A Word of Advice

Just yesterday, I was pulled into the WM Social Studies Dept Supervisor's office and had one of the most encouraging conversions thus far in my time student teaching. At first, I was caught off guard and completely nervious as the supervisor showed me a seat at her desk. Quickly, my fears were subsided. Mrs. Brennan aske me how I was holding up so far in the highschool, to which I told her my dilema with regards to the lecturing and heavy content. "Actually," she said, "that's precisely why I wanted to talk to you."

Kate proceeded to tell me, which I had quickly learned from experience, that the middle school and the high school are two totally different animals when it comes to learning style, teaching methods and content. HOWEVER, she made it quite clear that just because a course requires more content, that does not mean that I should sacrifice student centered learning. Just because students need facts, does not mean I need to lecture from bell to bell. She encouraged me by saying, "I do not want to see this beautiful flower of teaching, that you were at the middle school, to simply wither and die because of old fashioned thoughts on lecturing that exist in this school."

Being new herself to the district supervisor position, Kate told me how shocked she was by the heavy lecturing and sermon-like teaching that she was seeing in classes. She told me to be myself, and teach the kids with them at the center, just like I did at the middle school.

I must say, this was a relief. I could not have thanked her enough as I left her office. It was so nice just to know that someone is on my side in this struggle of content vs teaching methods. And its even better to know that I'm doing something right.

First Placement, I long for thee-

I am currently entering my second week at my new placement, and I must say… I’m wishing I was back at first placement. There are a few things that just seem so foreign to me, so difficult to swallow. I feel like I have been inculcated with a perspective of teaching for the last 4 years of my college experience that is now being called into question in one sweeping six-week placement. Unsettling to say the least. I have been taught that the best way to approach the learning process is to place the student at the center of such process. That it is the student who should generate an intrinsic value in the material and learn with the facilitation of the teacher. My first placement embraced that train of thought, offering every opportunity to think outside the box, hold simulation events and promote big teaching ideas. High school, however, is a whole other ball game. Its “Welcome to the Podium: Slap down your notes and preach it from bell to bell.” Lecture intensive and content intensive, I am simply expected to be an expert in information and not necessarily in delivering it. I think content is important, but at what point is it so important that teaching methods are to be sacrificed for the sake of rote knowledge. Disgruntled, disappointed, envious of my old placement – I just think that there is more to teaching than for me to furiously take notes at night in preparation of delivering a display of oratory genius the following morning. Maybe I’m being unrealistic, but I think students will remember “how I taught” before “what I taught.”