Go Jackrabbits! (My first football experience)

I went to my first Mesa High football game last night! It was way fun! I never went to a single Mauldin High football game unless it was to sing the National Anthem with the choir. It was just a totally awesome experience though, going as a teacher, because I had students that were playing and that made all the difference.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I do not know ANYTHING about football, so I had a friend that is very good at football accompany me and explain what was going on in the game. I now know that a quarterback gets the ball from the center and he can either throw the ball to a receiver OR keep it and run, among other things. Basically, I’m ready to coach football. Ok, maybe not, but it’s definitely a start!

I went to the Juniors game, which is kind of like JV, except that the guys are still on Varsity, but since the school is so big, they have a second string game, if that makes any sense at all. Since I teach all juniors, most of my students that play football are on the second string team. One of my students is even the quarterback! Exciting! So, every time they would say his name I got so excited and cheered for him.

Today at school, I told them that I went to the game and I wish you all could have seen how their eyes lit up when I told them. They were so excited. I told Mr. Quarterback that I went and he said, “REALLY?!?!? Thank you so much for coming!” (Fist bump…that’s right, I’m cool enough to be asked for a fist bump!!!!) He then continued to ask me if I saw all of these plays and everything, which I could tell him that I did! Another student said, “Did you see me block that punt return??” To which I could also respond yes!!!

Today was one of the most rewarding/fun experiences of my student teaching. When the students found out I cared and went to the game, the way they treated me after made me feel like I was the best teacher in the entire world, and I hadn’t even really done anything! I just took an hour and a half of my time, which is next to nothing if you think about it, and learned a little about football so that I could have a new way to connect with my students. It was such an amazing feeling!! AHHH I LOVE BEING A TEACHER!!!!

Carry on!

Becoming a disciplinarian and a coach

I'm finally starting to get the hang of the whole discipline thing and the students are definitely responding more positively to me. I had to have a heart to heart with one of my students last Friday and I feel like it really has helped our relationship in the classroom leaps and bounds. He was constantly rude to me and disruptive in class. So finally, I told him that I realize at the beginning of the semester he told me he expected to be respected, but that he had not earned my respect and therefore did not have it. I told him that I was not going to treat him any differently than I would any other student, but that he should know that I don't appreciate the way he has been treating me and that if he wants my respect he needs to change his ways and earn it. It was a very calm talk, I was very straightforward, and at the end he said "Yeah, ok," and left. Then, when he came to school on Monday, it was like a complete 180. He asked questions in a respectful tone of voice instead of with his usual attitude, he told me he liked my dress, and he showed concern for my well-being (he asked if I needed a band-aid to cover my knee, if you missed out on why my knee needs bandaging, see last post, it's a good story). He was a totally different person. I was so impressed. I don't know if it's that he wants my respect and he will do whatever he can to get it or if he now respects me more for actually sitting and talking with him so that he knows that I care about him. All I know is it was one of the most satisfying feelings in the world to know that I changed something about him, at least in my class even if he's a royal pain for the other teachers. I guess that's kinda selfish, huh?

There is also a kid in a different class period that has so lovingly given me the nickname, "Coach." I told him he couldn't call me that because I'm not a coach, but he said, "You're like my life coach." Adorable, right? So anyways, yesterday in class he told me he could pretty much tell that Mrs. S (that's my mentor teacher) hates him. I told him she did not hate him, she just sometimes has a harsh personality. He then listed off a bunch of reasons why she hates him and I have to say he had a pretty good list. I told him I was sorry he felt that way about her, but I asked if he could tell that I didn't hate him. He told me, "of course I know you don't hate me, coach!" Today, he was talking to me about his grade and he asked me if he could retake a quiz that he did poorly on and I told him he couldn't, but that he could certainly do better on the next quiz, which would be this Friday. He told me he definitely would and that he was going to study his vocab words so that he could ace the quiz and bring up his grade. I mean, he has a C it's not like he is failing, but I told him to do me proud. His answer, "Oh, I will coach." He's kind of my favorite, except that I don't have favorites, but if I did, he would be one of them.

Next week I take over all Junior English classes. Scary and exciting. I'll be teaching a unit on Puritan Literature, beginning with poetry by Anne Bradstreet, then Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, then "The Examination of Sara Good," and finally "The Crucible." So, wish me luck, prayers and well wishes are welcome.

Carry on!

Bekka Takes a Tumble, Among Other Things

Ok, so, an update is necessary. It’s been too long! I’ve had lots of good days and a couple of crummy ones, but here’s an overview…

So, last week, I took a major tumble in the classroom. Luckily, it was during the passing period between 3^rd and 4^th hour, so there weren’t a ton of students in the classroom. I had a student ask me where her new seat was since she was absent when I gave the new seating chart. I was walking over to my desk to find the new chart, when the pesky overhead cord tripped me. This is just another reason why I hate the overhead. The number one reason is that my fingers are green and blue when I leave school everyday. I left school last Wednesday with blue and green fingers and a black and blue knee. Ok, so it wasn’t really black and blue, but I thought that was a nice use of imagery, it was however a lovely shade of red. It was also fortunate that it happened 4^th hour and not 6^th. My 4^th hour students are much… well, more caring, that’s a good way to put it, than my 6^th hour students. All of the kids that were already in the classroom gasped and asked if I was ok, it was actually very sweet. When I told my 6^th hour students about it, they all laughed and said they would have been rolling on the floor laughing at me. Charming little rascals aren’t they? After it happened I got sent to the nurse, and now it’s finally starting to get all better, yay!

That same day, I also wrote my very first referral. This student has been a serious behavior problem and that day, he basically refused to do any work in class and was incredibly rude to me about how when he asks me questions I never know what to say and that I don’t really know anything since I’m a student teacher. I gave him the option to either do his work, or go to in-school detention (they call it Sweep at Mesa High School). He chose to go to Sweep, and afterschool I wrote him up for being disrespectful. It was a really weird thing to do but it was oddly satisfying because he had been so rude to me.

Those were the two big things from last week. This week, I had my first formal observation; it was, in fact, today during 4^th hour! I felt like it went really well! Sister Cottle told me that it was a job well done and that there were a few things I needed to work on, but that it was really good! Basically, I need to be more vocal about how much time they have left to finish an assignment, especially when they are working in groups. She also said I need to make sure to include how the lesson relates to their future or their lives. I was teaching “Of Plymouth Plantation,” a narrative about Pilgrims, so she realizes there isn’t a whole lot I could do to relate it to their lives, but she just wants me to have that idea in mind for when I am teaching about Romanticism and Transcendentalism. I’m excited to teach those because it will be a lot easier for them to relate to the material.

She told me that it was obvious that my background in theatre really helps me to have the necessary confidence to be in front of a class. She also told me I have smooth transitions and that I am good at thinking on my feet. She also mentioned that I did a good job of monitoring students and moving around the classroom. My questions were clear and I checked for understanding throughout the lesson, which were all really good. She told me overall my lesson plan was very organized and that I did a good job and there were no major problems! I feel really good about it! When she first walked in I got a little nervous, but I just took a deep breath and went on as if she wasn’t even there.

On the whole, I feel pretty great about my student teaching experience so far. I have had good days (when students understand what I’m teaching and actually participate) and bad days (when students call me a jerk and just sit there staring at me), but so far, I haven’t had any experiences that have made me want to quit teaching and flip burgers for the rest of my life, so I’ll call the first month a success.

Til next time,

Carry on!