Progress

So Wednesday I felt like I made some progress during observations. I made some goals for myself as well.

Goals for next week:
-Get a seating chart
-Learn Names
-Interact more

During first hour, I noticed a couple of things. One was that there were a few students missing. The other was how many more girls there are than boys. I actually noticed this in both classes, and it made me think of the Newsweek or Times article I read that stated boys in school are starting to fall behind girls. Since these students work in teams, I am not sure if they are on an "honors" track or not ( I should really find out). If they are, im sure that has an effect on the gender ratios of the class.

I feel like I dont know the 1st hour students very well yet, so next week I will try to walk around more and interact with them. Wednesday was more of an actual lesson. The students had to take notes on a certain section in their book. They had a choice of around 6 different ways- some which I had never heard of before. I walked around asking students which method they were using and why. It was nice to interact more with them. Most of what they are doing is in preperation for High School. The teacher wants to prepare them for different teaching styles, which I think is really nice =) Its a good advantage to have.

While sitting in class, I noticed how attentive the students were. They are very able to work independently, which i notice during daily geograhpy. They also seem unafraid to anser questions in class, which shows a comfortable atmosphere. As I was observing, a few questions came to mind. Since I will be working in a school of need, how can I make students interested in high school literature when some can barely read? How can I incorporate literature and make connections to their every day lives? I definetely noticed that Ritchason always makes a life connections to help students relate and remember material. They really respond to it. At first, I wasnt sure how I would like her classroom, but after being there for a couple of classes, I can say that I feel a bit more comfortable and cant wait to be more involved =)