4/9/14

Today during my visit to the middle school I was able to observe the 7th grade students playing volley-tennis for the first time in a round robin style tournament. The students all seemed to be really excited about the game and were very competitive with each other. However, this competition was not problematic; the students were able to still maintain sportsman like conduct.

4/8/2014

Today, in Mrs. Anderson's 8th grade physical education classes, I was able to observe two separate classes that both played volley-tennis. After the first class completed their game, the instructor asked the students if they enjoyed the game and would want to play it again. Some students eagerly said, "Yes!" while others were hesitant to say they enjoyed the activity. After the class left, Mrs. Anderson came up to me and said, "You just have to remember that you'll never make everyone happy". I felt that this sentiment could really be applied to the primary classroom. No matter how fun an activity is or how engaging a lesson is, not everyone will enjoy it. It is important to keep this in mind so that as a future classroom teacher, I can incorporate a variety of activities. This way, everyone will have the chance to really enjoy an activity.

4/2/14

Today during my time at Madison Middle School, the students were engaging in a game of soccer; boys versus girls. The student teacher participated in the game on the girls side, as they were one team member short. I thought the component of boys versus girls would add a lot of intensity to the game. It seemed as though the boys were more excited by this concept than their female counterparts. The guys quickly took a commanding lead and didn't let up. Some of the girls played intensely, but for the most part, they stayed back and acted more as observers than players. However, having the student teacher play for the girls team did add an element of intensity to the game as the boys of the class were eager to "show him up."

It was fun for me to see how well the students could work together in teams and how adaptable they were to having the teacher be so involved in their activity. I am hoping, after today's observation, that I can be an involved party when my future students are working on things while still facilitating a learning environment.

4/1/14

My visit to the middle school today was a very educational experience. I had the opportunity to visit with the classroom teacher about her educational experiences and ideologies regarding education. Mrs. Anderson recalled her first day of teaching middle school science and thinking to herself as the students came through the door, "What the heck did I get myself in to." She recounted the lesson planning her first year and the times she felt overwhelmed, as well as the immense amount of learning that took place.

Mrs. Anderson also discussed with me the skill every teacher must possess: the ability to act. Teachers must act like they are excited to be at school even on the days they would rather be elsewhere, they must act like they like all of the students, even those who challenge them daily, and they must act like the person they hope their students will become. Mrs. Anderson told me that there are days that she loves her job, days she wonders why she is a teacher, days where she comes to school and loves her job and leaves feeling differently, and days where she comes and isn't excited to be there, but by the end of the day, she leaves loving her job because of the people she works with and the students she teaches. By the end of our conversation, it was clear how passionate she was about her work and about making a positive impact in the lives of her students.

I left the middle school today with a renewed excitement for my upcoming career and an appreciation for the honest advice and conversation I had with Mrs. Anderson.