The First Three Weeks of Summer School

Ahhh, the refreshing feeling of coming to school everyday! I was so excited to start summer school, like everyone else. But I was excited for a different reason. I've been clamoring for the opportunity to get back in the classroom and teach again. I hadn't had a chance to teach since the summer of '09; I taught 10th grade English, Public Speaking, and Leadership classes. My experiences last summer confirmed my passion for teaching, so I couldn't wait for my first piece of the action in a whole year! I knew this situation would be remarkably different from what I was used to, but I came in with an open mind; and after a couple of days, a HUMBLE HEART. The first couple days were consumed with testing, so they were pretty boring. Once I finally had the opportunity to see the second-years and the team teacher model, I got the gist of how things go in the MTC Summer School. 

My first lesson was pretty good, I think? I taught about text structures (cause and effect, comparison and contrast, problem and solution). I must say that it was a lot to try to cover in one lesson, especially my first one, but I felt like I did a good job. My biggest struggle dealt with teaching to the objective. I got a lot of feedback which included lots of suggestions for improvement, but wasn't bereft of positive reinforcement. I was glad to have some positives to counterbalance the negatives. 

My first formal evaluation was not very good, but it was definitely a learning experience. The comments I received were very helpful and really helped me focus on what I was lacking in the most. That day, my team teacher and I outlined what we would focus on for the rest of the summer. 1) I had to make sure I was gearing my lesson plan towards my objective. I learned that sometimes that means planning backwards so that my objectives and activities line-up. 2) I had to work on my assessment techniques so that I could really gauge what the students are understanding. Moreover, clear and effective assessment techniques would help me in making sure that my objectives were on point.

With a new focus in mind, I worked really hard to implement the new plan and prepare the best lessons I possibly could. For the second week, I took on the literature unit that focused on Plot Structure. This was a daunting task, but I feel like I rose to the occasion. I had my three best lessons, by far, on Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. I had a real sense of accomplishment at the end of that unit. My confidence was pretty high.....and then. 

I tried to play a review Jeopardy game on Friday. The class setup was not conducive to an effective game, but the kids were very involved. Even though the classroom management was my worst yet, I took solace in the fact that the kids were so competitive with an English review game. I felt like they were more than prepared for the test and the seemed to enjoy the game overall. I attempted to do a review game without it being modeled by an experienced teacher and that experience humbled me.

My goal going into the third week was to rebound from the review and teach more effective lessons. I feel great about my lessons on Simile/Metaphor, Author's Purpose to Inform/Persuade. My second formal evaluation was remarkably better and that was very encouraging. 

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