Day 22...Screwing Things Up (4/13/10)

I need to really keep remembering what I want my students to know and be able to do. I should be constantly revisiting my objectives just to remind me and keep me on track. Sometimes I lose sight of these and then realize I am off track. It helps me to maintain my focus and direction. I can only imagine what it might be like for a veteran teacher if I struggle with this as a student teacher. They might be completely off and just do activities for the sake of doing them. Maybe this is just want student teacher’s go through until they figure out a routine and how to keep themselves accountable and the veteran teacher has got their lesson plans down pact that they know exactly what they are doing and teaching.


My first class today was very short. After they got done with their warm ups, we only had 28 minutes with the students (actually 24 because they need to change out). I felt very rushed and I think it led to my frustrations as well. Whenever I feel rushed, I usually get frustrated. We went through the skills very very quickly. Then to top it all off, the game was too complex for the students to understand in such short time even though I had two kids saying the game was more fun than others we have tried in our Gaelic football unit. Instead of giving up on this lesson, the next time we have class, we will revisit the skills and I will have to modify the game in a way for the students to understand. The game was just so over their heads that they just got to a point where they didn’t listen anymore.

The second class was all screwed up. We had them for about 10 minutes (after stretching and warming up) and then they got to go to lunch. After lunch, they came back to us for another half hour. When the kids returned, they were worse off than the first half hour. They were so wired and loud. I want to say that this class is horrible, but I know that it is just a few students who ruin the image for the whole class. There is even one student who takes everything out of context. I patted him on the back and asked him to pay attention and he is crying “foul.” He thinks and says that I hit him too hard and he’s telling his mother. His cousin (a girl) even came up to me after class, got in my face, and said “Did you hit my cousin?” She said it in such an attitude that it was like she was talking to a girl her age. I was completely floored by her approaching me and talking to me like that.

With my third class, I tried talking to them about their progress thus far in the semester with our classes. They were not having it. I only had 20 minutes with this class and they were so talkative and chatty that there was no way were going to get anything done. I just turned on some music and let the kids get on the bikes and treadmills. At least they were being active for the time being.

This whole testing stuff is throwing everything off. I have everything planned down to a “T” only to have it be changed by the testing schedule. It leaves the kids being so rowdy too. I can’t wait for it all to be done with. AHH!! Only 6 more days of it.

Until tomorrow!