When I got to Practicum today, I immediately felt a hostile element to the environment, and its source was none other than my Host Teacher. She told me that for either the first or the second block, “the state” would be coming in and that “they would not like you sitting in the back of the room. They are very judgmental of that.” So, she told me to circle the room and ask the students questions and answer any that they may have. The way that she said it and her general attitude told me that she, herself, does not like me sitting in the back of the room, either. I don’t know what else she expects. It is beyond my boundaries to discipline the students, and she has told me repeatedly that the students’ behavior does not signify a preparation to work in groups. Would “the state” not want me grading papers and/or making copies of papers for her? Even the other teacher who shares the room with her seemed to be in a very foul mood.
The woman who came in is a graduate of Henninger High School, and she knew some of the students in the classroom, having had them as students in elementary school. She was great with all of them, and as it turned out, she was not from “the state,” but it was just from the District. That class was great, since it is 9th grade honors. The students seem to have a genuine love for reading. When Silent Reading was over, the students literally begged the teacher for more time to read. That was awesome. Throughout the day, I graded papers (which really helped the day go by) and observed four classes, one of them being the other teacher’s class. Next week is a half-day, but I will be going. I believe that the week after is when I have to teach my lesson to the class, and I am nervous. It is the first time that I have ever had to teach a class, so needless to say, my nerves are getting the better of me. Anyway, I will report back next week about Practicum.