Maybe we just needed a break...

aiSo after 2 weeks away, my return to the classroom was FABULOUS! There was a complete turn-around with my teacher. She actually aknowledged us! She came over and talked to us, joked around with us, and incorporated us into the classroom. It was great! We got to work with the ESL students more which was interesting. They use different notes and they have a modified version of tests. Monday was pretty eventful. There was a new seating chart. Since I really like the set-up of the room, I payed close attention to how she seated the students. They actually get to put in requests of who they want to sit next to. I thought that was fun.

Most of the class was devoted to the district assessment. It was a test made about 2 years ago thats mostly multiple choice and then a short essay question. The ESL tests only had 2 choices for the multiple choice. There was a paragraph at the end of the test from The Jungle, which I thought would be somewhat difficult for 8th graders. Im not sure how they did on the test, but most students finished within the class period.

On a lighter note, the students in second hour were talking about high school and how they felt about it. The girls were excited to move on, and when I asked one of the boys if he was excited to go to HS, he replied, "Naw, only girls get excited for high school." I just thought that was so funny! And it was true for the most part. The girls expressed more excitement than the boys.

The next observation day, I was somewhat dissapointed. I dont know if my teacher was having a stressed day or what, but she went back to her unfriendly self. I really did not want a relapse, so we tried to keep up our enthusiasm. This time there was also an ISU intern in the classroom. She is a senior at ISU; I find it weird that she is coming in at such a late time in the year. Plus there are now 4 teachers in the classroom. I also found out that my co-op has been teaching for about 5 years.

1st hour wasnt motivated at all. These kids just do not want to work. They hardly ever do their hw, so my teacher has to make them do all the boring work in class. All they do now is take notes and quizes. She tries to make it as lively as possibly, but notes can only be so interesting. I walk around and see what style notes the students use, or ask if anyone needs help. They just need to stay motivated.

I feel like I have a growing connection with the students, which is so nice. I think its hard for them because there are so many people in the classroom. I wish I had more one-on-one time with them.