2 Reasons Why I Love Teaching...

#1 The third grade teachers in my school teach rotations of science and social studies lessons. Today I had to go next door to teach my first science lesson to the other third grade classroom. When I was walking back to my regular classroom a student of mine said...

"Hey Mr. Christensen, how did your lesson go?"

My response to this completely adorable and totally off the wall question was...

"It went well buddy, thanks for asking!"

#2 I was teaching acrostic poems to my class the other day. Our first poem was an example based off of a story we were reading about penguins. P-E-N-G-U-I-N-S were the letters my class had to fill in with descriptions about the Antarctic birds. Later I had the class create a poem using their own names. I wrote my last name going down the white board as an example, and asked the students to help me think of clever, descriptions for myself. I told them I wanted to use things like onomatopoeia and alliteration. When we got to the letter "T" in Christensen I asked my students to help me. Their response was...

"T-alented, terrific, teacher!"

I swear I almost shed a tear! My students make me smile everyday! I love my job!

I loathe late work!

So far student teaching in 3rd grade has been a blast. I am learning so much from this experience and I am very grateful to have such a wonderful mentor who is open and honest and knows what she is doing. It has been amazing to see her wonderful teaching skills at work and to gain such useful techniques for my own teaching experience.

However, I do have one major problem with student teaching so far. Late work!!! Well, actually, it's the way my mentor handles late work. I understand that you need to teach children to be responsible when it comes to turning in their assignments. I don't think anyone should get a free ride, so I agree that students need to be held accountable for getting their homework in on time. The problem that I am having with late work is that my mentor holds these fun projects over the student's heads in order to bribe them into turning in their work on time. I don't know how she normally carries out this plan, but because I'm in the classroom this is how it has taken place the last two weeks....

Mentor- (tells the students) "If you have all of your assignments turned in you get popcorn and a fun art project to work on this afternoon. If you don't...you are in for recess and you will sit and work until they are completed."

Me- (thinking to myself) "Oh, that sounds reasonable."

Students- (thinking to themselves) "OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO GET MY WORK DONE RIGHT NOW! IF I DON'T FINISH THIS MATH ASSIGNMENT AND TURN IT INTO THE CLOSEST OBJECT THAT RESEMBLES A HOMEWORK BASKET IMMEDIATELY MY LIFE WILL END!!!"

As you can imagine, this causes some major panic and drama for an 8 year old. For the next three hours all I hear is..."Do I have any missing work? What do I need to do now? I turned that in already, why don't you have it? I put that in the basket! I swear I've turned that in! What does it look like? What am I missing still? Can I have my fun project now? Why don't I get to work on the art project? "So and So" is eating their popcorn in front of me and it makes me sad! What am I missing still? Did you get that assignment yet? Can I start my art project now? What am I still missing? I'm done with that assignment where do I put it? Am I missing anything? Is this the right assignment? I can't find my assignment, can I have another one? Can I cross my name off the board and start my fun project?" ETC. ETC. ETC.

By the end of our "Fun Fridays" I want to blow my brains out! I don't understand what my mentor used to do before me to keep this process on track and running smoothly? Right now, they all come running to me with their questions because they don't want to ask her and be in trouble for not knowing what to do. My problem is that I can't handle 20 kids asking me questions all at once, and have to know what has and hasn't been turned in yet, and who is or isn't prepared, and which kids do or don't get to start the fun projects that we dedicate our "Fun Fridays" too! Right now fun Fridays are not much fun at all. In fact they are more like nervous breakdown Fridays for me. There has got to be a better way to handle this late work issue. I am open to any and all suggestions. PLEASE!!!! SHARE YOUR WISDOM WITH ME!

3rd Grade Shenanigans

Student teaching is far more complicated than I ever thought. With all the lesson planning, paper grading, faculty meetings, and photo copying to accomplish it is amazing to me that I still have time to get in my 2 hours a night at work (my real job that actually pays me). The issue I have with student teaching is that you don't REALLY get to teach things your way. Sure you get to be in front of the class and be in charge of the kids, but you are basically a guest in someone else's house and they like things done their way. I understand this completely. I wouldn't want some "kid" coming into my well established classroom and making up a bunch of new rules, regulations, and rewards based on their own beliefs that alter what I have already taught. It is just strange to see things in the classroom that you are fundamentally against, and yet you have to carry them out because you are the "guest." It sounds like I am complaining about my placement, but I'm really not. I am learning so much from my mentor teacher. I know there is a rhyme and reason for the things she does, and for some reason, even when she pulls those cards or disciplines the kids, they come back the next day loving her. They are sort of like dogs in that aspect; you punish, but they still show you unconditional love.

My class is fantastic this year. I could not have asked for better students. The majority of them are super bright and have these fantastic little personalities that I can't wait to get to know better. Like every class though, we do have some low kids, and there are definitely some behavioral children, but honestly nothing you couldn't handle on a day to day basis. I really lucked out with this classroom. They are polite, well spoken, funny, and seem to enjoy both school and learning. It's going to be an exciting ten weeks. Well... eight actually. I can't believe it, I'm two weeks down already.