An update on my most recent educational lessons

Also entitled- Things you don’t learn during student teaching

• Timing is really hard. If you plan an activity that you think will be short and sweet it will inevitably take about 25 minuets longer then you though. In the same fashion if you think the activity will take most of your small group block you will finish with 10 minuets left to fill with something meaningful.

• All three of the copiers breaking in the workroom on a Friday is also known as Armageddon in Teacher World.

• Students throw up in pairs.

• If those two students happen to get sick within the first hour of school you have basically lost the entire class for the rest of the day.

• My preconceived, Covenant influenced, notions of what are “best teaching practices” are being challenged. In fact, I use worksheets and put my desks into rows. *gasp*

• If my desk does not have some semblance of organization I tend to go slowly insane.

• Being invested in a career that you actually care about makes you really start paying attention to the news/politics and causes you to evaluate why you think the way you do, especially in an election year.

• Some days you come home and fall asleep on top of you lesson plans at 7:30pm.

• It’s hard to be a fun teacher.

• When parents don’t show up for SEP conferences it’s hard not to be disappointed and take it a little personally.

• I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing 90% if the time.

• 2nd graders don’t seem to care if I don’t know the best way to implement writer’s workshop or how to deal with defiant students, or tell them the long e spelling in evening is e_e (come to find out that second e isn’t silent). They still give me a hug on the way out the door at the end of the day.