Observe and Reflect in Middle School - Week One

After a beautiful fun filled summer vacation from all things education, it's time to get back to work.

This fall I have the pleasure of coaching 6 Woodrow Wilson Science Fellows during their full time field experience at an urban middle school in Indianapolis. These 6 individuals were accepted to this program for an intensive year of teacher training which will result in a masters degree in education. They are each given a $30 thousand stipend to ease the transition and they commit to teaching science or math for 3 years in a high-needs urban or rural Indiana high school after graduation.

They range in age from 24 years to 69 years with a variety of professional and academic experiences. Currently they are placed in pairs with mentor teachers at Northview Middle School in Washington Township. They are divided between one 8th grade classroom and two 6th grade classrooms. Each week they submit a weekly reflection to me - here are some excerpts from the first week:

“The first two days of meetings were both boring and overwhelming.”

“I learned that one teacher was hired the Friday before the teacher work day due to a teacher being promoted to be an assistant principal. What did I learn? I may be hired at the last minute and have minimal time to prepare my classroom etc. That thought is creating some anxiety to me as a first time teacher.”

“I’ve determined that for the most part, adults are not that much different than children. They don’t all work great together, they still complain, and they tend to have a slight grudge against authority.”

“It was a really tiring week. I had to exhibit a level of alertness that I’m not used to doing. I am getting better of being aware of more things, but still could use some more practice.”

“The first two days of classes were exhausting: a constant stream of new faces, names, procedures, etc.”

“I’ve also noticed that there are a lot of subtle skills involved in teaching, particularly in classroom management.”

“The students took me by surprise. They are more mature and more with-it than I expected.”

“I am really working on learning students’ names. I remember from my volunteer experiences how much it means to kids to be recognized and called by name.”

"I was nervous!"

I truly look forward to the observations and reflections of these budding educators as the semester progresses.