This past week we had a new addition to our classroom. I’m not referring to a student, but a pet. By a pet, I do not mean a real pet either, but instead a decorative owl made from a paper lantern. My cooperating teacher brought it in and I love it! I think I may like it more than the kids, but when they came in they noticed it right away, but it’s face was turned so they couldn’t see it. They asked why it was facing the wrong way and I told them it was being bashful.
Our new class “pet”
My classroom has a great range of diversity in terms of ability level. For example, we have students ranging from first grade reading level to tenth grade. It is the job of a teacher to develop learning experiences that will allow students, regardless of their ability, to be successful. I never want a student to feel like they have been given up on. One of the biggest reasons I decided to become a teacher was because I have a heart that aims to inspire. Inspire a child to dream, to believe, and develop confidence in their abilities so they are able to see themselves as special, unique, and irreplaceable. I have found that it is students who are the lowest in the class who tend to need the most inspiring and this little boy is one of those students. I found myself stressing out each morning he wasn’t there because I didn’t want him to be overwhelmed with all he had to do when he got back or fall behind. I believe staying calm and finding the time in the day outside of instruction to help those children to catch up allows them to feel cared for and appreciated. It makes it even better when you’re able to see they are understanding the material they missed!
This week I really noticed the great number of responsibilities I am assuming in the classroom and good conversations with my cooperating teacher, which I am really enjoying. As a teacher, there are going to be hard questions to try to answer and situations to address, where there really is not one right way to do things. I have to remind myself that there is no way to know if something will work until it is tried!