It’s about time!
[Original date posted: 2/17/2012]
Well I’m OVER halfway through the semester and I’m just now getting around to writing something down about it! This semester has been a whirlwind to say the absolute least. We are now focusing on upper elementary (grades 3-6) as well as integrating the arts into the classroom. It has been a fascinating semester and a wholeheartedly overwhelming semester!
Language arts is wonderful, science is wonderful, and I know math will be wonderful once I gain some more confidence. Of course I love art and music but I already knew I was going to incorporate both as much as possible into my future classroom. I’m also doing an independent study about language acquisition and sheltered instruction for students labeled Limited English Proficient. I think if I were to choose my ideal classroom right this very minute, I would tell you that I want an elementary sheltered classroom. I’m not entirely certain this exists, but we’ll see! I’ve been volunteering at an IPS school that is right around the corner from my house and it has been a fantastic experience getting to know some older students (4th and 5th grades) and I find observing instructional time is one of the most beneficial things for me. I get to practice active listening as well as think about the pedagogy of the teacher. What would I do the same? What would I do different?
My excitement, anticipation and nervousness about teaching grows daily. It’s funny, I never felt this way about becoming a librarian, and I LOVED being a librarian. There are parts of that career I truly miss, but based on how much time I spend thinking about and planning for teaching, I know I made the right decision.
Here are some highlights of some things I’ve learned this year:
One Teacher's Voice 