My 1st week of student teaching

Aside from waking up at 5 am, blisters on my feet and a sore back, I have had a GREAT week!

This past week was my first week of student teaching. I have an amazing mentor teacher! I am currently in 1st grade. This week I have been helping students individually with their math and reading, helping them stay on task, etc. I also focused on learning all of their names which was A LOT easier than I thought it would be. Knowing children's names makes being an authority figure much easier.

This coming week, I will be taking over social studies and possibly some math so I will be working on lesson plans this weekend, which I am oddly excited about. :) The following week, I will for sure be completely on my own because my mentor teacher will not be there one day.

Yesterday my mentor teacher told the principal that I was doing a wonderful job and the kids were already benefiting from me being there. (The class I am in is the inclusion class, which means there are special education children in there as well as several children who are repeating the grade. My mentor teacher requested a student teacher because she wanted more help.) Today my mentor teacher told me that I as doing a great job. She said that everything she has heard me tell the kids is right on target and that she sees that it comes naturally to me. :o) It felt great to hear these things on my first few days. And honestly, it does feel like it is coming naturally. I feel like being a teacher is what I am meant to do. I always questioned why I got pregnant right when I was starting nursing school. I now know because being a nurse is not what I was meant to do with my life. Although I have missed being away from the kids, I have also enjoyed feeling a sense of independence and accomplishment.

I am worried about the economy and the fact that all of the districts are laying off teachers and increasing the class size. It does worry me that I will not be able to find a job. But, I am just going to stay focused and positive and take each day at a time and hope that someone somewhere along the way picks me up.

The kids are doing great, but they are a little sick. I think the mixture of all the germs and colds at school as well as the weather has caused them to get a little sick too. The past few nights Colton has coughed all night and Tayler had a really raspy cough this morning. I was able to get them into the doctor this afternoon as the last appointment. The doctor gave us some medicine for coughing and congestion so hopefully they will be feeling better by the end of the weekend!

Well, I am going to go enjoy some quiet time. Every night this week, I have gotten in bed right after the kids because I have been so exhausted. So, I am going to enjoy some awake alone time! :)

Have a great weekend!