Student Teaching: Second Placement Week 2

I meant to post this a long time ago. Then student teaching happened, and the sick kids with their strep throat happened. I am now on the mend, having had strep for the first time since I was in elementary school myself, and I feel like time is whooshing by!

I love second grade. I've missed it. This group of kids is a lot rougher than my fourth graders were, but even still I feel a lot more confident going in each day. The concepts they learn are simpler, and to me easier to teach. I also find it easier to assure them that I am teaching them important information. While I also felt confident in telling kids that learning to multiply was important...I felt less confident with needing to learn specific grammar concepts I don't remember ever learning myself, or three different techniques to add and subtract. And oftentimes, there is info involved that just isn't important all, or at least hasn't been in my life so far. I feel like everything you learn in Elementary school should be important to the rest of your life, and sadly, it is not.


Now I can focus on being anxious about getting a job. Yay?

Student Teaching: Second Placement, Week 1

Last Monday I went to a brand new school to go work with second grade. I have to say, the class couldn't be more different from my last one. Both great, just in very different ways. These second graders need a lot of guidance when dealing with their emotions, and I am going to miss the focus and attention the fourth graders always gave. That said, I have really missed second grade. I love that I don't have to learn any crazy techniques I never learned as a kid to teach math class, and grammar concepts are actually useful. Even more, I love how interactive the lessons are naturally.

I also love that this district is nearby, and starts much later than my last district, so I have nearly an hour and a half longer in the morning to get things done. It really is a thing of beauty. I find myself with SO much more energy in the mornings, feeling more prepared for my lessons, and at the end of the day I am home by 4. Granted, when I go home, there is work to be done...but it is the kind of work I CAN do at home.

So far, I am pretty happy. I took over teaching Math on Friday, am starting taking over Intervention today, and will take over Science on Wednesday. It is crazy that I have been there one week, and in another week I might be teaching all day already. It is even crazier that I actually feel really confident in doing so. I still can't wait to finish, and apply for real work, but I have a feeling the next 6 weeks will fly!