Well, since I've been forgetting to blog for over a month, I'm going to think back and write as if I am writing about how a felt a few weeks ago. That way I'll be able to remember all of the ups and downs of student teaching and figure out what things I was struggling with each week!
I'm going way back to the week or two before Thanksgiving. I was having trouble adjusting to 3rd grade, it wasn't bad, just not my favorite. One of the big trials was adjusting to an elementary school schedule. In nursery school, there was only instruction during the morning periods and the afternoon was all review, play, or specials. There was a lot of content to cover, but it was very different in the planning and schedule. It was busy before, but in a different way. In 3rd grade it is extremely detailed on what must be covered and there is a certain time during which the teacher is allotted to teach it.
The difference between the two teaching styles I encountered was also a huge change. My first placement teacher was firm in a fun and crazy sort of way. Students always listened to her because that was the expectation and you had to. The new placement teacher is constantly getting frustrated with the class because they do not follow directions very well. Part of it is the class, because many of these students are very distracted and do not focus. I do feel this teacher has different expectations of the students. She will tell a student to stop the same behavior several times before taking more action. It may be the students don't respect her as a total authority the way my other teacher had. This teacher wants the students to be more independent and it seems like more of a team game...but I don't feel this is very effective is students are disruptive and causing the teacher to constantly stop her lesson to correct behavior. She literally gives directions 15 times and some students still do not follow them!
I can tell right now that as a future teacher I would want to be closer to my first teacher and be an absolute authority. Of course all the students will need corrected at some point and student's will challenge a teacher, but I can see a major difference between an in control classroom and an in control teacher! I'm not sure if I'll be able to take authority when I'm teaching this class because it is not part of the normal routine and I do have to follow the things my teacher already has in place. At least I have learned a lesson for my future!
After being in one placement and then changing to another can feel almost like a culture shock. You have become so use to the first placement that changing can be difficult. I hope everything worked out well regardless of the difference.
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