Day two.....yes I started it late!

Tuesday it is!

Well, things are rather interesting. I am reminded of some of my previous teaching experiences. I feel a bit overwhelmed but still confident. I feel I have the basics of teaching down, its just figuring out how to put it all into practice. There is a big gap between my knowledge and understanding, and my ability to put it into practice.

On the plus side:
-I have a good grip on discipline. I feel like I have the ability to gain my students respect. They almost always are quick to understand when I have had enough and it is time for them to seriously pay attention. I honestly feel like I have the respect of my students, and that is a very good thing.

-I have a positive report with the students. I am able to relate well to them and can explain and discuss issues that come up during the day.

-I have a fairly good grasp on what Mr. Schmidt expects from the students. There is a lot of "busy work" in this type of teaching, which I don't really like, but I think for a substitute teacher, this is mostly necessary. I have been working on incorporating more dynamic learning strategies into the day. I have been pairing students off to teach the ideas they are learning. This seems to work well, even when pairing two fairly different levels. Both students seem to learn something when this happens, and at the worst the higher level student at least gets a good review!

-I am able to quickly come up with extra things for the students to do when they finish early or don't seem to be challenged enough. This is a big positive.

On the Negative side:
-I am a bit overwhelmed. I stress "a bit", because for the most part I think I have been able to get the students working on what they should be. I do believe that they are learning. This is what I believe to be a major negative of a substitute teacher's job. The teacher has a hard time knowing what level each student is at and whether or not they are really progressing. Each class has incorporated a basic concept, practice, and assessment, so I'm going to call it good!

-I would do many things different if I were the primary teacher. This is really not to say that I disagree with the methods that have been set up by Mr. Schmidt. I just think that I would organize things differently. I'd like to have a specific time during each class for a short "teaching moment" rather than simply handing out a worksheet and answering questions when they come up. I have started incorporating the "teaching moments" much more, even only on the second day, but I feel that there needs to be more of this.

Overall, the second day of teaching has been markedly better. I have seen a lot of improvement in my teaching capability in a 48 hour time span. This is very encouraging!! I was worried that the second day could bring more discipline issues, but this has not been the case. Here's to crossing my fingers that this doesn't catch up to me on day three!

Well, I'm out. Gonna go home and make a book as an example for what the students can make in their free time. Gonna sit in front of the TV and work there for a while. Until tomorrow....Ciao!

~Peter