The First Student Teaching Post

Yay!

Student Teaching (ST) is going INCREDIBLY well. Better than I expected, actually. I had never taught anything besides 2-3 year old Sunday School. So I was a little apprehensive going into the classroom. I knew there would be expectations (grad student/William and Mary). I knew that I wasn't a very social person, therefore I thought meeting people would be hard for me. I had never been in the school that I was ST in.

BUT...it has been great. I have met people very easily (hopefully it's me, and I'm getting through some of those social "problems"...but more than likely, it's the awesome teachers at Stonehouse Elementary!). The two teachers we work closest with (2nd grade and 3rd grade general education teachers) are amazing. Each one has a great outlook on teaching, as well as life. You can just tell that they love their jobs. My Cooperating Teacher (Kathleen) is amazing as well. She knows her special ed, I can tell you that! Meeting people has not been a problem.

I have an excitement about me each morning that I don't know where it's coming from. I am actually waking up before my alarm (almost an hour before this morning). I am getting there, ready to go!

The kids are wonderful! Kathleen has 16 kids on her case load (that's a lot for a case load). We're in a tiny resource room, but they manage.

I absorb my first subject tomorrow: Phonics ('fä-niks) It's pretty much a direct instruction piece (where I just read from a book and just go in the order they suggest). But it will be mine! Then I'll absorb one subject each week. Until finally, I am teaching everything. Then I'll teach full time for about 2 1/2 weeks (around Thanksgiving).

1 week down. 9 weeks to go.