Friday Reflections Part Five

1. Describe one thing that you learned: I thought it most interesting and found it most useful to hear the different discussions regarding classroom interventions. What is nice about a class like this is getting the chance to hear 30 different experiences or techniques in dealing with everyday classroom decorum, so even though some of the ideas or techniques are not necessarily things that I would incorporate in my classroom, it is still useful to compare and contrast, whether it is how materials are distributed to calling for quiet, as well as finding out how successful some of these strategies are.

2. What questions do you have and/or what do you still want to know? I guess if I was left with any one question based on today's discuss it is what exactly do you do when you have exhausted all of the options in dealing with classroom disruptions. What is the protocol in taking it to the next level. I know this will differ greatly depending on the circumstances, but I am sure there are classroom environments in which nothing seems to work, and am curious as to whether that is symptomatic of a deeper-rooted problem within the class, or is it a reflection on a teacher's inability to maintain control.

3. What are you anxious about regarding student teaching/teaching? Following through on Question #2 above, I guess it would be the anxiety I might feel if I am failing to establish or maintain classroom decorum, especially when the class is turned over to me. I know that the master teacher will still be around and is my fallback, but I'm not sure I want to have to rely on him to "save" me. I think part of the anxiety is in not knowing how far I can push them (or me) in order to firmly establish my control of the classroom. Oh well, I guess we will find this all out in the coming months.

4. What are you excited about regarding student teaching/teaching? I am excited at the prospect of putting all of the things I have learned, along with those things I am still learning, combined with things that I think I instinctively or intuitively know, into practice, with no safety net to catch me if I fall.