Week 5: Student Teaching

And with that, I am already 1/3 of the way done with student teaching!  This makes me so sad and kind of happy all at the same time.  It saddens me to know that we are getting closer to the end of this experience and that it truly is going by so fast.  It does make me excited however, that I indeed have made it this far and now I can look back and see how much I have truly grown from that first day in the classroom to the week 5 mark; I've come so far!

Comfortable in the Classroom
I feel that I definitely am comfortable of being in the classroom and moving about the classroom.  My very first day, I stood in one place the whole time and by two I had already had enough of that and now I think I am only in the front of the classroom when I am giving directions or at the very beginning of class.  I also believe that I am much more comfortable around the students.  I am able to joke with students and nerd out about certain topics around them and they actually joke and nerd out with me.  I am starting to feel that it actually is my classroom!

Students in Ag Foundations doing an Egg Dissection lab to learn 

the parts of an egg.  

Flexibility
The first time we had a fire drill, it ended up cutting ten minutes of time out of my lesson that was planned to take up to the last second of class.  I was thinking "Oh no!  This class is going to be behind and we will have to find time to make it up somewhere!  I don't know how we are going to get back on track!"  Now I am so used to delayed schedules or class interruptions, that we just roll with the punches and I ensure the kids we will get to that next time.  I don't get worked up now when I hear that a kid needs to go down to the office or that there is going to be an assembly during first block, I can't stop if from happening so might as well just learn to work with it.

The dairy foods team practicing the off flavors of milk for their upcoming contest.  

Pacing 
I think I am finally starting to get this pacing thing down a little.  I definitely no where near close to being perfect with it yet but I am getting better for sure!  The first day of teaching I ended up taking twice as long with an activity than I had planned or that it took.  Now I block out the time for lecture and activities and make sure I stick to it that way we can get everything done and so that students aren't doing one thing for too long.

Students making their own total mixed rations

to learn about why each part is essential.  

I know that I still have a long way to go yet but I feel like these past 5 weeks has been a great period of growth for myself.  I can't wait to see what knowledge and skills I gain over the next 9 weeks!