1st Day of my 1st student teaching placement. I was ready to meet my cooperating teacher and my first graders that I would be working with for the next 8 weeks!
Well, this past week was not exactly what I imagined it would be. We (myself and 7 other anxious student teachers) met at the site of our first placement on Tuesday only to find out that the Principal was not there (her daughter had given birth to her 2nd child that weekend), the Assistant Principal was not there (he was at a meeting off campus), and it did not seem as though they (the teachers or office staff) knew we were coming! So, I would not consider our day 1 to be day 1. We spent the morning in a meeting room going over our handbooks with our PIR (Professor In Residence) and the gracious teacher that took over for the Principal and Assistant Principal in their absence. We took a leisurely lunch at a Mexican restaurant across the street. We FINALLY (and briefly) met the Assistant Principal after lunch. Then, once we were given the names of the teachers we would be paired with, we headed towards their classrooms. Many of them, however, were in a meeting discussing plans for us. SO...they sent us home early. Day 1: I didn't meet my cooperating teacher, I didn't meet my students, and I didn't meet the Principal.
2nd Day of my 1st student teaching placement (OR as I would call it, my 1st day: take 2 which is why I had Brent take my picture. Turns out-as you will read below-that I should have taken a day 3 picture as well). I was SO ready to meet my cooperating teacher and my first graders that I would be working with for the next 8 weeks!!
Day 2 began with a 2 hour delay due to the excessive amounts of rain that Chattanooga had received. I arrived 30 minutes early, anxious to FINALLY meet my teacher. Nope. She had been ill and would not be there. However, I was able to meet the kiddos (FINALLY)! They were very sweet and could not believe I would be with them for 8 whole weeks (a lifetime to them). There are 4 of us (Student teachers) placed in first grade there. We all worked together to pull pages out of enVision math books and discussing the unit our teachers planned for us to teach in a few weeks. Those tasks took us out of the classrooms for most of the day and before we knew it, day 2 (or day 1:take 2) was over!
Day 3: MY TEACHER RETURNED!!! I was SO happy! But, I was also making sure to bathe in hand sanitizer every time I came in contact with anything she had touched (my flu shot still had about a week and a half before it was fully effective). Well, I finally spent an entire day with my cooperating teacher and the kiddos in the classroom...well, kind of...we dismissed early (temperatures were dropping fast and everyone was afraid of snow and ice)! Anyway, she is great! VERY nice and VERY helpful. I have a feeling I will learn a lot from her.
Day 4: Yet ANOTHER 2 hour delay! The day went by quickly again, but I was excited to learn a few things...
-I sat in on a planning meeting with the first grade teachers and learned that they are working on a weather unit...I PLANNED A 3 WEEK WEATHER UNIT JUST LAST SEMESTER! I am excited to take in my binder of lessons tomorrow to see if they can/will use any of my ideas.
-My cooperating teacher is retiring at the end of this year! JOB OPENING FOR ME! HOO-RA! Hopefully she will put in a good word for me :)
-My cooperating teacher and the Kindergarten teacher whose room is attached to ours are excited that I can draw and intend to use that to their advantage quite a bit while I'm there. I drew a picture of MLK Jr. to display the kid's work alongside and they LOVED it! I will take a picture when it's all up and ready. BONUS POINTS ;)
SUMMARY:
-I have not spent a full school day at my first placement to date (off for MLK Jr. Day today).
-I have yet to meet the Principal (every time I go to the restroom or pass the office, I check for her, but to no avail).
-I LOVE my cooperating teacher!
-I LOVE my kiddos (already! I've gotten several hugs from them and that makes me smile).
-I LOVE the first grade teaching team (they are ALL great and VERY friendly/helpful)!
-I'm excited to show my skills!
SO...With a quick week 1 down, here's to Week 2!
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