Week 2!

I started teaching this week! The slow phase in process isn’t one I’m familiar with. I would have been okay with observing for another week but who am I to argue with experience? I started with 5th social studies. They had just finished WW1 when I arrived so now we’re getting into the causes and beginning of WW2. I think it’s a good unit for me to teach on because the students will be really interested in it. And their textbook is written in story form which is nice because they feel like they’re reading a book but they’re also learning about history. I did 2 lessons from that, about the rise of Fascism and we did a political cartoon activity where they had to make their own cartoon. They went well for the most part, but man this class has energy.
I don’t want to be negative, but I am seriously dealing with behavior problems I never thought I would deal with here. I honestly feel like any class I get after this one will be a piece of cake. It’s so hard too because they are so smart and I want them to learn but they just don’t listen at all. I need to find a better way to differentiate because it’s the smartest kid who causes the most problems. I feel like if I can keep him challenged then maybe he will stop causing problems and distracting his classmates. We had 2 parent meetings this week because of their kid’s behavior problems; and in both the parent ended up crying. Let me tell you, I almost started crying too. It was tough. I can positively say that I am learning more than I ever imagined I would learn in this placement. I am also trying to learn about the culture and not only the 5th grade class but the 6th grade class as well and the teachers and the church… it’s been a long week. Also on Friday one student had a birthday and his parents threw him a surprise party for his class during lunch. Teaching them after lunch was a struggle but it was fun to get to know his parents a little more and celebrate with them. And take a class picture! :) Also on Thursdays, Rachel teaches a baking elective for 7th and 8th graders. It's really fun because this week they made cupcakes, and while they were baking we just sat outside and the 7th graders told us so many stories that had me dying laughing. The way they told the stories was hilarious! It was just a fun, relaxing time with the students.
On top of it, I started getting a cold halfway throughout the week. I should have known it was going to happen; it always does at the beginning of a new placement for me. My immune system is down and there are new germs I need to get used to. So that’s always fun, teaching with a sore throat.
It was a good week though, and a good weekend too. I got lunch at Renee’s with her 2 sons (Franco and Alessandro, twin seniors). It was super fun. I literally had an hour long conversation with one of the twins about how much we love Taylor Swift. Then we went to devo and after devo I came home and crashed. I almost didn’t go to church Sunday but I did and I’m glad I did. But I had the girl driving drop me off after lunch so I could take a nap and write my lesson plans for this week.
I get to teach 5th and 6th grade social studies this week! In 6th we’re starting a Medieval times unit, starting with the Byzantine Empire. It’s going to be fun to teach too.Read more