Student teaching week 1

It was the first day of going to high school again.


Well, sort of. It was my first day of student teaching, which is at a high school. The fact that I am 22 and going to teach high school for these 7 weeks, not attend, didn't stop my parents from taking the “first day of school picture” before I left that morning.


So, here I am, off and running on this student teaching adventure. For the first seven weeks (ending February 21) I'll be at NorthPointe Christian High in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's a private school on the smaller side, around the same amount of students at the high school I attended. After being at schools for previous placements with multiple stories, even when they only have three grades, a smaller school was a welcomed change.


I'm working with two teachers at NorthPointe, and teaching two grades - 12^th grade for two sections, and 9^th grade for three sections, with two planning periods. Though it's a bit of a jump, I'm excited to work with both of these groups. As planned with my teachers, I'll be teaching one unit on writing research papers to the 9^th graders, and a unit on the Romantic period in literature to the 12^th graders. Both of these units really excite me, because they're both topics in English that I am very familiar with and truly enjoy studying, explaining, and teaching.


This week, however, was different for NorthPointe. Not only did they not begin right away due to two snow days, but it was also j-term. All the students pick three 2-hour classes to take for the day, each of which is teaching on a topic that is not a normal piece of the curriculum. One of my teachers, Ms. Straayer (9^th grade), was the coordinator of j-term, so didn't teach any courses. Being that my desk (yes, I get a desk) is in her room, I spent the most time with her so didn't see many classes.


However, I did have a somewhat productive week in other ways than observation. The two teachers and I discussed a plan for the seven weeks, what units I'm teaching, and when I will start teaching full time - in about 2 weeks or less! I also got to know my teachers, and the other teachers in the school, by spending a lot of time chatting in a relaxed manner. I did attend three of the courses that I thought would be interesting, so got to know other teachers and some of the students that way. Furthermore, with extra time on my hands at school, I've started getting a headstart on my planning, completing a rough outline of how long I expect the unit to take and writing two lesson plans! So, though it may not have been a traditional week, I feel very good about it as I now already feel more comfortable in the school.


I can already tell this is going to be a wonderful fit for me. It's nice being back in a Christian high school, a setting I am initially quite comfortable in, but it's also a very welcoming staff and students. I look forward to meeting my classes this week and observing both of my teachers as they teach and care for these students.