What a Day

I am writing this before my final so that I am able to calm down a little bit before I get into the computer lab and take the exam.

Today I got an email from my site teacher saying that she would appreciate if I were able to be at school to help the substitute teacher with the project that the students were working on.  It is good to have some cohesiveness so I was more than willing to do that.  The best part about it, the substitute let me be the head teacher.  He was more of a TA that helped me out with individual questions.  I made copies, I emailed students, I talked about the term project, I explained things clearly today.  It was really awesome.  I like days like today where I feel that I succeeded as a teacher.  I was able to be head teacher and the students listened to me.  It is a great thing.  The principle came in and I was busy teaching and he went over and talked to the substitute and shook my hand as well.  He is a really nice guy once you get to know him.

I did some more proactive steps to ensure that people in high positions know that I am serious about becoming a teacher.  I went in during last period and talked to the principle to see if he would be willing to observe my classes and give me some constructive criticism.  He was happy that I would come in and ask him to do that for me.  He gave me a form that he does for teachers and ensured that I would be on the rounds for him and the vice principle to see me teach.

I also talked to the secretary and she is giving me a key to the classroom that I will be teaching in.  I will have my own key!  I am feeling like I am part of the school.  I feel like faculty.  I have a district email address.   I have access to the computers as an administrator.  It is beyond awesome how I have been able to mesh into this school.  I even talked to the math teacher on my team to see if she would be willing to help me through teaching the remedial math that I will need while teaching physical science.  She was way more than willing to help me with that.

It has been a great day.  I have accomplished a lot. I feel that I am making real strides to becoming a full on teacher.  I have started my motion lesson planning.  It is really fun to think of activities that I can do with the students.

It is going to be an interesting winter break.  My site teacher isn't very specific in all of the things that she wants to do and the timeline of those things.  I am really excited to make my own lesson plans.  I have some ideas that might work, as well as they might blow up in my face.  But, that is how teachers learn.  I am truly grateful that I have a site teacher that is letting me have complete control with all of the lessons.  I can be as creative as I would like to be.  It is beyond awesome!

So, I am excited.  I need to do one last review before my final in Music.  My last general EVER!!  I am also very excited about that prospect as well. No more generals!