Observations II

I had my second day of observations at Roseville Area High School. They also went well--like my initial observations at Preble, I am more and more anxious to get into my own classroom.

I have only seen her three times, but I can say right now that I am very lucky to have been placed with Ms Doherty. She's honest and practical--she's laid back and knows when to tell her students that they need to shape up. They respect her and like her a lot, which is good. I can take some smart cues from her. She has also been really helpful to me thus far, and I'm very grateful for that!

Her students finished up watching The Mighty in English 10A. They read chapter 18 in TKAM and took a quiz on chapters 11-17 in 10B. She has English 10A 1st, 4th, and 5th hour; English 10B 3rd hour. Since I am teaching 10B myself, it's nice to observe the ways that she's doing it; I'll also see her do Julius Caesar and Life is Beautiful. It's also good to observe 10A so I can see what comes before what I teach.

I also got some exciting teacher goodies--a nametag and a parking pass! :) I look like a pumpkin in my photo, but the picture is small enough that I don't have to be too embarrassed. I also got my class list. When Ms Doherty pulled the lists up on the computer, she also got their yearbook pictures and full schedules and whether or not they're on an IEP (I have a handful--all boys), etc. That means I can get my first gradebook! When I was little, I used to think that my parents' was so cool... look at how organized they are and they have all this power and circle the missing assignments and put things in columns... (Hey, my boss at B&N Elizabeth said she used to make fake ones when she was little too, so I'm not the only daughter-of-teachers nerd.) Ms Doherty said it's probably best not to fill in the names until a few days into the trimester since you usually lose and gain a handful.

I'll have English 10B 3rd hour and Journalism 5th (final) hour. 3rd hour is a little wacky at this school. They don't have open lunch, and they have 68 minute "blocks." (Not quite a block schedule, but almost.) 3rd hour is divided by lunch--the "B wing" has lunch half an hour into 3rd period (another group has lunch an hour into 3rd period--so the instructor has to teach the lesson in an hour, then try to do something useful in the half hour after lunch, whereas I'll get to prep them for half an hour and then do some meatier things after lunch). Of course, I have English 10B, which is the hour I plan to have my students keep a daily writing journal; I always figured that would be a good way to calm them down and a good way to get them into the groove of the class. Now I find out I'll have to get them to get into the groove twice in one period!