Lessons Learned

I had a great experience at my PDS. My host teacher is great and helps her students to the best of her ability. She is new to the high school level so it was nice to learn as she did. She's given me handouts and active knowledge that will be useful for me in the near future. I have learned a lot through the tutor expierence.

The first thing I learned was to trust in my own opionion. I walk around the classroom while I'm there and try to help student to the best of my ability, however I do doubt myself often-- but I have gotten better.

Students love to be a part of something fun. I did a mini lesson on day on the Cantebury Tales and made a dialoge sheet for each character. Instead of having them follow along to the story while looking at the text I read the narration and cued them in when their character spoke. It was a fun interactive activity and the students enjoyed it.

I can honestly say that teaching is my passion. I like creating fun activities and coming up with new ways to engage students in the lesson. I was a little scared going into this; i asked myself "what if I don't like being in the classroom or student teaching, what will I do then?" I am glad that I am in the classroom and am getting first hand experience with a teacher that is learning herself-- that fact is reasuring as well.

Lessons Learned

My first semester in a classroom has been an exciting one. The particular room I was in at first did not seem to be the ideal one to observe. The students in my class were taking freshman English for the second or third time and did not seem to have any interest in passing the class. However, before I realized it, I caught myself enjoying being in this class.

The first thing I learned this semester was that every student can try when they want to. My teacher asked me to work with a boy who did not usually turn in any week. I was to work with him on a character analysis essay. He seemed very enthusiastic about it when we were talking, but I figured he would go home and forget about the assignment and never finish it. However, the next week I walked into class and he came up to me and said, "Hey did you hear? I turned in my paper!" He now turns in most of his work.

The second thing I learned was that you can have fun joking with your class. Though the class I am in is a rowdy one and I am sure my teacher gets frustrated them, she always seems to be in good spirits and does her best to joke around and be nice to them, rather than scold them.

The last thing I learned about during this experience is that I truly believe teaching is what I will spend the rest of my life doing. I was unsure going into all of this, but seeing and experiencing the classroom has made up my mind that teaching is not only what I will do for my career, but I will also actually enjoy doing it.