just in case you were wondering, I'm having a blast with my student teaching. it's very low-key, low-pressure, and a lot of fun. I love the students! They're adorable and hilarious! ("They're BABIES!" said another student teacher who moved from high sch to middle sch). And I'm learning SO MUCH! as I had hoped, this teacher is the perfect counter-weight to my tendency to rescue too much (thus fostering dependency). She is very caring but also has good boundaries. Sits back and observes students' difficulties, then provides advice about tools and strategies for them to use to help themselves. I think her method is not completely effective so I will probably modify it, but in the meantime it is so important for me to break this habit of enabling students to remain weak instead of helping them become more independent and proactive.
Example: Dorotha is a sweet but shy new student (her name's not really Dorotha but she has the same name as Dorotha's real name). I'm worried that she's not making friends. My solution: ask some of the other girls to include her more. Their response--look put-upon and disdainfully curl lip. I think I have just made things worse. Teacher's solution: "If she's still having trouble in a couple of days we can talk with her about ways to join a conversation or lunch table. She needs to learn how to do that.")
Anyway it's wonderful, I look forward to it, and I think there will be no tears this time.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
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1 comment:
very cool, ginny! i KNEW you'd be great, find your groove, learn things. already you're revising your teaching, doing what the best make a practice of -- taking each others' ideas and modifying them, always thinking, always (re)creating lesson plans and teaching personae (is that the plural?) and philosophies. ain't it a blast? ain't it the best fun?
frelling hell, i love this job. (-; keeps me centered, creative, alive. sounds like it does that for you, too.
hey - saw yvonne this weekend. she was in town for a wedding -- saw her not much, but got to touch base and met her SO. nice nice boy. he's a teacher, too -- high school english -- the 3 of us should talk.
peace -- c.p.
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