2 posts tagged “impressions”

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news:

I think my overall comfort, classroom management (of which there is little because of the makeup of my class), and teaching (by this I mean explanations, questioning, and generally getting information from my head to the heads of my students) is improving and pretty good overall.  My lesson was effective and the I interacted well with the students, using a lot of informal assessment via questioning and observation as they worked on their own.  Related to this, I've also improved on my communication, that is to say I talk a little slower and I break things down more effectively with better examples than I did before.

The bad news:

My lesson planning still needs some work.  I'm still struggling with breaking things down all the way.  I just said I've improved in this, but I still have a ways to go.  In this lesson I can see that my students stayed with me in the beginning, but I began to lose them near the end of the block when I was transitioning to explaining a more difficult concept.  Because of this, I lost them and I don't think they mastered my second objective as fully as I would like.  I need to continue to break things down and plan more time for independent practice, especially for more difficult topics.  I think that if I bite off a little less in each lesson this will be easier.  The transition from 50 minutes periods to 100 minute blocks has hurt my ability to do this some, but has also exposed me to how long 100 minutes is and how much I can fit in.  I'll get there.  I think I'll like working with a block schedule in JPS.

The bottom line:

Compared to my first videotaped lesson, I think I have improved, if subtly.  I still need to work on the same things as I did in that lesson, namely the speed at which I talk and time management, but its getting better.  I also think that my lessons are still and continue to be effective in that the students are engaged for the most part and meet the objectives.  We'll see if this stays true once I have to spend more energy managing the classroom.  I just hope that doesn't cause me to sacrifice too much from my lesson.

Man, I hate that song.

This first week at MTC couldn't have gone better.  Well, maybe I could have gotten into my apartment with the first, or second...or third set of keys that was issued me.  Or, perhaps the weather could have been a little more mild.  There will always be little things like that, but really, this week has been awesome.

As I mentioned earlier, I am really anxious and nervous about what is to come in this journey.  I still very much am.  I also mentioned that I have never felt less prepared for such a major transition as I did when I was coming out to Mississippi.  I no longer feel that way, thanks mostly to the other people in MTC.  I am very pleasantly surprised, and, to be honest, inspired by the feeling of comfort and welcome that nearly every single participant and staff member promotes.  My experiences with fellow first years have been altogether pleasant, friendly, and much more comfortable than should be expected when first meeting someone.  Justin said it well in his blog that the awkwardness of college orientation is lacking in this experience and making friends and enjoying myself with this group has been almost effortless.  The second years have already been infinitely helpful, never tiring of my many questions about everything from "What kind of food do they have here?" to "What made you decide to return for a second year?"  I really appreciate their candor and honesty, especially when relating the darker, more difficult part of the journey of a first year teacher to me.  I have tried to learn all that I can from them and will continue to.  As far as I'm concerned, they are a wealth of knowledge, and a good time, too.  They have contributed a great deal to my nearly seamless transition from college student to MTC participant.  All of the second years have been great, but I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I will have a really good group of them in Jackson to continue to lean on for support in the coming year.  I am thankful for that.

I am also pleasantly surprised about my overall feelings about Mississippi.  Coming from a beach town in Southern California and having never been in the South basically translated to my knowledge of the South consisting of stereotypes.  That being said, I didn't expect all of those stereotypes to be true.  Regardless of my preconceived notions, and despite the heat and humidity, I really like it so far.  The Ole Miss campus is beautiful, as is the surrounding area, and Oxford is a nice little town, from what I've seen.  I'm anxious to go down to Jackson to get a taste for where I'll be spending the bulk of my time in the next two years.  The next Two Years.  I hope they're as smooth and enjoyable as this last week!  No, that is unrealistic, but I do hope they are as rewarding.