Week 3: Sept. 6th - 9th

Reflect on any team teaching you have participated in.

   This year at South Harrison Middle School, they have changed the scheduling a little. The sixth grade team all teach the same class for first and second periods. First period is called Focus (a version of RTI). This class lasts 9 weeks and then the students rotate to another sixth grade teacher. Each teacher must teach one week of study skills, one week of science, one week of reading, one week of English, one week of math, one week of social studies, one week of geography, one week of health, and a free week. Each teacher had to complete their lesson plans for the nine weeks and turn them into the principal last Friday. Each teacher will teach those same lessons each nine weeks to each class as they rotate through. Therefore to know what each teacher will be teaching, we had to meet as a team and discuss what sections of each subject they would cover so that they wouldn't be teaching the same thing. (quite confusing!)
  After first period, each sixth grade teacher has a reading class (which is second period). Every sixth grade student is in a Focus class first period then a reading class second period. This isn't a problem for me because my specialization is English/Reading, however, for the sixth grade science teacher this is a problem. He asked me if I could assist him in some of his lessons and bring some new ideas from our WVU courses to his classroom. I think his class will be my experimental class to see if some ideas that I have for my own classroom will work or not! =)

Week 2: Aug. 29th - Sept. 2nd

Reflect on your rapport with the students.

   I have already developed a wonderful relationship with my students! I was weary at first because the students seemed to be put off by me, and also whenever I would try to talk to them they seemed to not pay attention. However, it took one time for me to explain to them that I am an equal teacher and they must respect me and treat me as one. Although this encounter scared me, after I got done speaking one of my students that usually acts out raised his hand and said, "Ms. Heare, you're going to be an awesome teacher." To hear that statement from that child puts tears of excitement in my eyes. Last semester I was having second thoughts about being a teacher because I felt so nervous and out of place in the high school (one of my classes of tenth grade students made me cry in class) However, here in the middle school I feel comfortable, respected, and ready to teach. These are the moments a teacher lives for!