Weeks 6-8

Hi everyone!

 

The next installment of my journey is coming at you! Things are in full swing here in Taupo. I’m gaining more responsibilities at school and learning heaps both about how to connect with and teach students along with the amount of work that goes into effective teaching. If you’ve never student taught before, I’ve come up with an analogy to explain what it’s like.

 

For those of you who have ever played basketball, student teaching is like learning how to shoot the ball into the hoop. Most of you might not even remember the amount of effort that went into this, because at some point it become second nature. You don’t have to think about it, you just shoot. Muscle memory takes over, and the shot feels natural rolling off your fingertips. It doesn’t go in every time but it goes in enough that you feel like you’re doing a good job. Watch a professional and they’ll make it look effortless.

But what we often forget is when you are first learning how to shoot a basketball it was nowhere near that easy. In fact, it’s really really hard. There are, like, a million different variables (dramatic I know, but hey I work with 8 year olds all day). You have to make sure your feet are shoulder width apart. If you’re right handed, your right foot should be a little bit in front of your left. Your knees should be bent – not too little, but not too much either. Your right elbow should be over the top of your right foot, your hand in a vertical line with your elbow and also under your right eye. The ball needs to be resting on top of your right hand – not flat on the palm, not only on the fingertips, but somewhere in between. Then your left hand needs to lightly rest on the side of the basketball – not supporting it in any way, just holding it in place. When you actually shoot the ball, you bend your knees, straighten them into a jump, push your arm up, and flick your wrist down to give the ball some spin. While you do this your eyes should be locked on the rim (front or back depends on you as an individual), and when you reach up and flick your wrist you should imagine it going over the tip of the rim. And that’s just the shooting form. Once you can do that consistently there are an infinite number of distances you can shoot away from the basket, as well as an infinite number of angles. These differing differences and angles require different amounts of power and finesse. Sometimes you are supposed to make the ball bank off the backboard. Sometimes you are trying to make it go in without touching anything but the net. And if that’s not complicated enough, that’s just one kind of shot. Sometimes you don’t even want to use the form I just explained and instead to get the ball in the hoop you want to do a layup, reverse layup, dunk… you get the picture.

And because when you’re first learning you have to focus on every single one of the little details I mentioned, and you have no muscle memory built up, you miss a lot more baskets than you make. Sometimes your shot looks and feels awkward and clunky. But the only way to get better is to keep practicing. So you do. And one day, you realize your shot has become effortless. That doesn’t mean you aren’t constantly tweaking something to make it more effective, but you no longer have to focus on every little detail, and you can allow it to come more naturally.

 

So how exactly does this relate to student teaching, you may be wondering. WELL, in a classroom full of diverse individuals with differing needs, there are a lot of variables and details to be thinking about. You need to assess and understand the needs of each student and plan learning experiences that engage students and challenge them where they are at while meeting their social and emotional needs. You also need to notice and manage behaviors (good and bad), materials, and the schedule, all while reflecting on and documenting both students’ progress and your own effectiveness. Experienced teachers have had enough experience working with all the different variables that many parts of their job come naturally. They know where students are typically at academically, have experience with a wide range of abilities, and have a collection of resources to pull on to fit almost any learning situation. Of course, they are still tweaking their craft and always striving to get better, but they don’t have to focus so long and hard on the small details. As a student teacher, you don’t have the “muscle memory” built up that other teachers do. You are expected to make decisions like you do, create lessons that not only meet your teacher and school’s criteria but the criteria of your university as well, and try to implement what you believe to be important for your students, but you don’t have all that prior knowledge to draw upon. I’m not gonna lie – it’s hard work. But just like shooting a basketball, the only way to get better is to practice. And that’s what student teaching is. It’s the opportunity to practice in a controlled environment so that next September, when I am in the game, I have the best chance at making the most shots.

There has been a HUGE learning curve while I have been student teaching. Some days it has felt like I am taking one step forward and two steps back. HOWEVER, I have grown so much from this experience. I am practicing the skills to become an effective teacher, and getting better every time I do. Sometimes I miss the mark, and that’s okay because it means I’m one step closer to hitting it the next time. And the longer I am in the classroom, the more confidence I gain and more effective I feel I am. PLUS, the kids make every struggle worth it – they really are the reason I do what I do.

 

Besides learning a lot at school every day, here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

 

Weekend in Napier -  We climbed a hill for some panoramic views of the area, went wine tasting at a winery, visited an aquarium, and hung out by the ocean. We also helped out with Sunday Surf Club – a program for kids that teaches them how to use various water craft. My job? Spend time cruising around in a kayak making sure all was good (luckily I wasn’t asked to save anyone).

View from the top of Sugarloaf Hill

Winery

 

Coast (a different beach than where Surf Club was held)

Full charge – I’ve spent two weeks in full charge of my cooperating teacher’s duties. Besides teaching ordinary classes, I organized a detective day where the students had to use reading, writing, maths, and problem solving skills to solve the mystery of a missing handbag. It was a challenge, but by working together they were able to be successful! *ALSO* something they don’t tell you about student teaching is that you will watch a kid pick their nose and eat it. Gross. What can you do?

 

Beautiful sunsets – seriously. They never get old. And they are gorgeous here setting over the lake and mountains. Check out these pictures for evidence!

 

Parasailing – Rachel and I took in views of beautiful Lake Taupo while sailing up in the air behind a boat. It was an amazing experience, and really cool to take in our lake and town from a new heightened angle. We even got dipped into the water towards the end of our ride!

 

edTPA turned in – yep. I’m a little behind in my blog posts, but this one almost catches me up. It’s amazing how much more I am able to focus on planning for my students now that my big assignment has been turned in. And now I anxiously await the results….

 

Day trip to the coast – our host took us out to Mount Maunganui, where we climbed a mountain and swam in the ocean. We also stopped to see some hydrothermal clay (boiling mud) on the way there and jammed to Abba in the car.

View from the top of the Mount

Shells

Exploring

Waves Crashing

Swimming Beach

 

Autumn is in the air – while friends and family back home anxiously await spring, there has been a change in the weather that signifies fall is coming to New Zealand. The temperatures are much cooler overnight than they used to be, and daylight is getting shorter and shorter. Although summer felt short because we came half way through it, autumn is my favorite season so I can’t wait to see some trees with colorful leaves!

 

And that’s what I’ve been up to! For those of you who made it this far, thanks for sticking it out and reading about my experience. I’m sending good vibes to you all!

 

As always, if you have questions or comments drop them below, I’d love to connect!