Summer School Day 2

I was getting a bit bored with this, but I was thinking that a conducive way to get my thoughts down is to write about what happened during the day while I was teaching. No names will be addressed and very vague information will be given. I am teaching summer school for five weeks. It is a half day. I teach students that are in the age range of rising Pre-K 4 to 1st grade. 

This is taken from my reflective journal. Writing in italics have been added for the blog.

As another school day passes, I find it very cathartic to write my thoughts down. It provides an opportunity to not only document things, but gives me an outlet. As something that I have been thinking since yesterday, that I really need to find positives in negative thoughts. In summer school, what I believe is that this will present to me a transition away from not having my co-teacher. It will be able to help me get over that she is not in my classroom, and will help me in the transition. It has had it's moments in only two days! One thing that I really have to be conscious when I'm teaching is to not compare my new colleagues to my old co-teacher. I can't say, "she would have done that different" or "she would have it out already". This is the learning process for sure.

Another thing that I am learning, is still going through the feeling out process with my students and vice versa. What I need to do is make it through this week, and get all the routines and procedures down.

I am pleased that once again I am getting positive praise from the admin staff. One goal coming into the 2012-13 school year was to change how I was as a teacher. I felt that in my first year I was a shitty teacher, so the goal was to not be that shitty of a teacher. It was something (that honestly) I thought about everyday. I was visualizing what would be different. I was visualizing what was going to go through the first day and how I would react to things. Honestly it was a step in the process of what has fascinated me for a long time. I feel that there is some aspect of statistical analysis when teaching. The steps are finding it at a point where the classroom can run smoothly.

One fascinating aspect from today was that I was bitten by one of my students. I feel that from interacting with this student so far, that a different tone and style will need to be used. But frankly he will not get me down. I will break him down.