Journal Samplings

I was required to write a journal each week out of my first eight-week session of student-teaching. The following are just bits and pieces of my thoughts:

"Anymore, I am realizing that a teacher (if dedicated) can put in anywhere from 40-80 hours each week. Not only are you teaching for the 8 hours each day, but then you might have 3 hours of grading and 3 hours of preparation for the following day, oh not to mention the parent-teacher conferences or the duties of Spanish club events, and any of the other “little” tasks the school district might mandate for all teachers within the system. Holy cow. I don’t understand how people can have a husband, kids, and this job and still be in their right mind. Anyway, in a nutshell, we don’t simply “get” summers off – we deserve them! We put in all the hours necessary during the school year to more than compensate for the minor break we receive during the summer. Okay, I will step off my soap box now..."

"So, this past Thursday I left my USB at the school, therefore I had to back my files up on another USB that night, just in case the internet wasn’t working at the school on Friday to access the six files I vitally needed. The next morning upon arrival, I found out that the internet was temporarily out of service, not working in the least. It did not come back until noon that day. I cannot begin to explain how many gratitude prayers were uttered after the announcement was made. Teachers always need to have a Plan B, C, D, E, and F."

"A weird concept dawned on me this week. As I was grading a three-paged packet I had assigned to my 90 Spanish 3 students, I was struck with one thought and one only: CREATE ASSIGNMENTS THAT YOU IN TURN WILL ENJOY GRADING LATER. There’s a good chance if it you are dreading grading it, the students probably are further dreading doing it. Try to make all things as enthralling and interesting as possible, even homework assignments."

"Additionally, I am used to calling kids after class to talk to them about their behavior and grades. At first this process was a bit uncomfortable; however, now it not only seems necessary but also natural. I prefer talking it out with the student about issues within the classroom, before an automatic detention or scolding them harshly in front of peers, one never knows the background that each student brings to the mix. All 120 of them."

Parents need to invest more into their children; they are jewels. I still say that we should have a strict interview process if someone wants to become a parent. Yes, I concur with myself.