Experience.

          I think it is time to update about my field experience. For those of you who do not know I was placed in a sixth grade English class (which I was happy about I was terrified that it was going to be a math class). At first I was not happy about it, I thought that sixth graders were too big, and I would not be able to connect with them. I am use to working with little children, and singing and dancing. Being in sixth grade requires me to be in a whole new element. I ended up really liking liking my placement my host teacher is wonderful, and I am learning so much from her. My students seem to like me, but it is difficult to connect with them due to the fact that I only have them for forty minutes every Tuesday and Thursday. Seeing the changing classes is such a new learning experience for me. I am learning how to get the information the kids need to know, to them, in a very small amount of time. Also, in this little amount of time I am trying to connect with the students.

            Right now we are learning about literary terms and devices, like alliteration, figurative language, hyperbole, metaphor, personification, and simile which I find so much fun. I really enjoy how much my host teacher becomes involves with the class. She is always getting up, and moving around the room, and acting out things. I feel that people like her are such an asset to teaching. Engaging the students is so important for us because we have so little time with them every day. The students take notes every day, but a lot of them are not paying attention, and doing it properly, so I have been asking them to come in during study hall so I can help them get there notebooks organized before the notebook check on Friday.

            The classroom management part is something I find difficult because some students do not have a problem listening, and paying attention to me, whereas others will not give me the time of day. There are some kids who think I am already teacher and some who would not care if I was or wasn’t. For the most part they listen to me, but when my teacher leaves the room they think they can do whatever they want. I am having a battle between being too nice, but wanting these kids to listen to me. I feel like this is going to help me a great deal in my future teaching because sixth grade is challenging is more than one way.