My First Run in with Technology

It is a good rule of thumb that your technology will not act and/or operate as you anticipate. Be prepared with a Plan B when your video projector's sound fails and you still have 32 eager sets of eyes trained on you expecting to learn.

My Second Mini-Lesson

A teacher's classroom can become a very personal space and relinquishing control over that space and the students harbored there, I can imagine, is a challenge. That is why, I believe, I encountered resistance when attempting to run a mini-lesson today. My CT allowed me to craft and run my own lesson, but she wanted to share my spotlight instead of giving it momentarily up. I understand. I really do. These are her students. She is ultimately in charge of their learning, but she will come to realize that I am at least equally as dedicated to their education as she is. I share her passion for teaching, and I too thrive off of the experience of being in front of them. My CT and I are building our relationship, and I must remember to give it time to grow. Once she gets to know me, I feel assured that it will be all that much easier to share center stage because we are both working to the same end. We are both teachers, and we both love what we do.

My First Disaster

"If she's the teacher, why can't you just let her teach?"

This was the response I got from one student when I came in front of a class for the first time that I had never taught in front of before, and it nearly broke my heart. I didn't skip a beat, and I didn't figure his inquiry was worthy of response, but what he said affected me inside though I tried not to show it outside.

Due to a half day, the students' schedule was reordered making 4th, 5th, 6th classes the first classes of the day. I had never taught this class before. I didn't know the names of these students. I didn't know their attitudes, interests, or needs as learners. I didn't know that an outright rebellion was on my hands. And we had a sub. Again. AND it was Friday. In sum, I had the recipe for a disaster and chaos ensued.

The mini-lesson that went so well the day before flopped. I didn't even dare play a game with the students because of their grave misbehavior. I couldn't keep them quite, or focused, or on task. I couldn't make them listen or do their work. I could get them to answer questions or listen to each other during the off-chances when someone spoke. Every minute of this one particular class period dragged on, dragging me along with it.

In my CT's words, I was eaten alive. I had the 'sub feeling' and the 'Friday feeling' all bundled into one nightmarish day.

I tried my very best to be firm, but not harsh, and consistent, but not unrelenting. I laid out the rules just like I had with the sub before, but they would not listen. I handed out warnings and threatened to take away their points for the day, but they did not care. I tried every technique in my Classroom Management Repertoire, but my four weeks experience on the topic was not quite enough in this situation. I fought every minute for the students' attention, and when I could not get it, I got going on their assignment with the students I could and talked to each other student individually to encourage them to get to work. Eventually, we got through the two sided worksheet after the entire class period, but it was a struggle. The whole class was a struggle.

At the end, I led a reflection over the morning's events and the kids admitted, in their own words, that they needed to improve listening, following the golden rule, respect, being polite, not using put-downs, acting responsibly, and not interrupting. I agreed with them whole-heartedly. I had to list 11 students' names for my CT for misbehavior, but I listed 12 for not contributing to the chaos. A third of the class behaved, a third did not, and the other third was along for the ride of the day. To somewhat resolve the issue of the day I strongly suggested the students get a new seating chart and a stern review of classroom behaviors with the Vice Principal whole 6 foot tall, 200 pound frame my reinforce the rules better than I did.

The sub said she felt I held my own well and that the students were simply pushing me to see how far they could go until I broke. Well, I didn't break. I stayed as calm as I could manage and never raised my voice. If I could do it again (which I would not readily do) I would be firmer. I would be stricter. I would better enforce the classroom rules and convince the kids to take me seriously. As it was, I learned. I learned about myself, my style, and a weakness I have for not wishing to dish out consequences on my students. I have to remember that not every student will ever like me every minute and maybe helping them stay true to rules and regulations today by holding up my end of classroom discipline I am doing them a favor in the long run.



Highlight of the Day:

Debriefing the disaster with the sub who offered me priceless advice for next time, though I hope next time is far off. Her advice was to be firm, stay firm, and don't waiver on discipline. She said by being firm up front, you avoid retaliation in the long run. She suggested that when doing group work, to partner students up myself to avoid friends distracting each other from their assignments. She also said to always have a Plan B (and C) in case Plan A busts.  Most importantly though, she said don't give up. For every day like this there are so many more that go so much better and they make days like this worth fighting through.

My First Substitute

On Thursday my students had their first substitute since my CT's return from maternity leave. A particular series of fairly fortunate events led to me leading the classes for the morning to my absolute delight. I relished at the opportunity to reclaim the spotlight and lead another lesson, even if it was not of my own creation.

The students came in saying, "Is there a sub? Are you our teacher today?" and gave them an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Though I was initially minutely concerned for the sake of myself and the sub, the students were actually very well behaved and listened to and followed my directions well. At first I feared the 'sub feeling' that overcomes classes like a sickness infecting students relentlessly with side effects such as excessive talking, spontaneous movements across the classroom, eruptions of loud noises, and the appearance of disrespect. Grave as this can sometimes be, the best cure is high and unwavering standards and expectations for behavior. If the classroom management plan is referenced and enforced, the 'sub feeling' is often wholly preventable.

Thankfully, I opened my class with, "Though your teacher is not here, her rules still are and I expect you to still follow them in her absence. Now lets get started!"

That is all I needed to say and the 'sub feeling' was (mostly) prevented. We made it through all of our work, and the students really exceeded my expectations. My lesson for the day was to remind students of the rules and their consequences, and as long as that is clear, discipline will be maintained.



Highlight of the Day:

Worksheet Question #20: Who is the best social studies teacher?            Miss Blanchard                

My First Mini-Lesson

What is a hemisphere?

This was the first question I asked of my students as a teacher. Yes it was only a mini-lesson and yes it was only review, but it was my mini-lesson and my review. It was my turn to be in front of the class. And, I couldn't have asked for it to go better.

My audience was my 7th grade Eastern World class, and they were great! They were responsive and engaged. They stayed in tune to my lesson, and I fed off their energy as much as they fed off of mine (which is really saying something for 8:00am).

We discussed the ancient Greek translation of hemisphere as 'half a sphere' and broke down the word on the board. We brainstormed spheres we were familiar with and talked about what half of that sphere would look like. I reviewed with them the latitudes and longitudes that divide the hemispheres on the globe and drew them on the board. We discussed where the hemispheres are, and four volunteers colored them in on diagrams on the whiteboard in front of class. Then we played a game. They tossed a globe beach ball around the room and when a person caught it I would call out a hemisphere, the equator, or the prime meridian, and they had to put their hand on it. They passed the ball between them until every student had a chance to play. I would have kept going, because their participation was great, but it was a mini-lesson after all.

Ten minutes later, my moment in the spotlight was over. I had fun, but more importantly, the kids did and they were able to learn at the same time.



Hightlight of the Day:

Watching my kids play having fun with a globe.

Do you believe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAMLOnSNwzA

First Sleepless Night

I couldn't sleep last night. It had more to do with the large Coke I downed in fifteen minutes last night than anything, but do you know what was running through my mind as I tried to fall asleep? Lesson plans.

At 10:30pm, 11:30pm, and past midnight I was thinking about lesson plans! I had given a lesson to my peers in a college class that night, hence the Coke, and I was obsessing over perfecting the plan to use with my seventh graders. I thought of how it could be used in a unit, where it could be used in a unit, and how effective it could be. I thought of different ways to implement my lesson and different students I would anticipate participating.

And though my mind was racing long after my self-prescribed bedtime, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being excited by my work and the impact I foresee my efforts having in the future. As if further proof were necessary, I feel yet again confirmed that I am meant to be a teacher.

Highlight of the Day

"Miss B.! Miss B.!"

"Yes, Lou?"

"I remember you like rainbows, so I made this rainbow colored pencil holder for you!"

"Thanks, Lou. It's beautiful." Lou had given me an empty toilet paper roll he had colored like the rainbow with a loose leaf paper taped to be bottom. To my eyes, it is beautiful and will live on my desk for the rest of the semester.

Interviews Concluded

Each and every student has their own story, and every story is worth hearing. That is why when assigned to interview a student, I elected to interview five. For each interview I heard a dramatically different story and was enlightened as to the struggles and triumphs experienced by sixth grades. I intentionally selected students I anticipated would have very different experiences to discuss, and I am glad that I did. I interviewed two males, three females, two African American students, one Latina, two Caucasian individuals, and one special ed. student.  The variety of responses I received for each of my questions made me further realize that the personal identity students bring into the classroom majorly affects their experience there.

Tamara

My first interview was with Tamara. She was very uncertain of herself. She answered as many questions with ‘I don’t know’ as she did with any other response. She could not come up with any words to describe herself, and she rarely gave a response to a question beyond ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ I did find out that she lives in a trailer with her mom and dad and older sister. She also has two brothers who are also older, but she does not know where they live or with whom. They only visit her family every two weeks and she said they are both mean to her. Her life primarily revolves around her family’s life and all of the music, movies, and television shows she likes she watches or listens to with her mom. She spends more time with her mom than anyone else, and when asked what she would do with one million dollars, she told me that she would give most of it to her mom and spend only a little on herself to buy new pants. Tamara is completely responsible for doing all of her own homework, which appears to be a challenge for her because she does not like to read.  She enjoys math, because, in her words, ‘it is fun.’ Though she was eager to help me out when I asked, she was reluctant to share anything with me about herself during the interview. I found in her interview, and in the subsequent four, that sixth grade students struggle with issues concerning their own identity until asked questions indirectly about what and who they like. Their understanding of their preferences is keener than their understanding of themselves.

Charles

Charles, my subject for the second interview, was the most comfortable talking about himself, but he still had a loose conception of his own identity. He described himself ‘friendly, nice, kind, [and] athletic.’ His last descriptor ended up best describing him. He plays on a soccer team through the school district and loves watching wrestling on TV. Even the videogames that he enjoys to play are sports related.  This is not a feature he shares with his family, however. Even though he admitted to spending more time with his mom and dad than anyone else, his parents do not enjoy the sports-related activities that he does. He also lives with his younger sister and since he can remember his grandmother has lived at his house. He has always lived in the same school district and overall he likes school. 

Sarah and Chelsea

 My next two interviewees were too nervous to interview with me by themselves, so I conducted a double interview with them to ease their concerns. Their names were Sarah and Chelsea, two best friends from class. They actually had quite a bit in common, which helped the double interview run smoothly. Both girls described themselves as shy, which explains their reluctance to interview alone. Chelsea said that she was ‘shy [and] honest’ while Sarah said she was ‘shy and athletic.’ Both girls play a slew of sports including volleyball, gymnastics, cross country, and horseback riding. They both like to eat and sleep, and that is most of what they do at home since they are both so busy. Chelsea lives with her two older brothers, an older sister and her mom, while Sarah lives with her older brother and her mom and dad. Sarah’s family moves every four years because her father is in the military, so she was born in Hawaii, she lived in North Dakota, and they will be moving again next year. Chelsea only moved once and it was before she can remember. Both girls spend a significant amount of time with their families. They both also like to read. Their favorite subjects are art and music, and they wish more of what they liked could be incorporated into their social studies classrooms. They like being creative and they feel that they don’t get a chance to express themselves often in their core classes. Because of their similarities, this double interview progressed seamlessly, and I was able to get to know both students.

Final Thoughts

From all of these students, I learned that the aspects of their identity inherited from their families are the most important. Each sixth grade student admitted to spending more time with family than friends, and among their family members they spend the most amount of time with their parents. This just goes to show what an influence their parents can have on their lives, and by extension, their education. None of them said that social studies was their favorite subject, but I got insights into their minds as to why and how that can change. From their interviews, I gathered that integrating social studies with other subjects would be the best way to engage these students. They want hands on activities in their regular classrooms and they want an outlet for their creative ability. There is a way to include all of these aspects into the social studies class, and it would be well worth the effort to do so if it means engaging more students in the social studies curriculum. The classroom should be fun, and that was their main complaint about the classes they did not enjoy, including social studies. I also learned that every student had some kind of text that they preferred, even if it was not a book. They may have only discussed books when asked about texts, but they almost all admitted to liking movies or TV, which can be easily added as a text into the classroom. Most students prefer visual stimulation, especially at that age, and there are numerous resources available to do just that. From these interviews, I learned about students’ preferences for activities and how they like to be engaged in the classroom, and though I found this information enlightening, it was not the most powerful thing that I will take away from this interview experience. What I will remember is that every student has a different story, and you will never know it unless you ask. So, ask .

Interviews with Students

***For the privacy of students interviewed, I used aliases for all students referenced in this and subsequent posts.


Students are amazing people with lives often as complicated as adults'. One of my first assignments from the College of Education this year was to interview a student about his or her conception of their personal identity and their identity as a learner. These were to be 5 minute interviews during which I could ask any number of questions. I focused on these:

1.      How would you describe yourself? What do you like to do? What are you good at? Do you like to watch TV? What shows? What kind of music do you like?

2.      Can you tell me about your family? Who all lives at home with you? Where do you live? Have you always lived there?

3.      What do you like to do outside of school? Do you do sports, or are you in clubs, or anything? Do you work? Who do you like to spend your time with?

4. What is your favorite subject? Why? Do you it could be more fun? How?

5.      If I could give you a million dollars, what would you do with it? 

6.      Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about yourself?

The answers I got were astounding. The sixth graders I interviewed were far more complex than I imagined possible. If one interview could be enlightening, would not five interviews be even more enlightening? So that is what I did. I asked these questions of five students and received an array of responses I never imagined. Here is the first of the five interviews, and the one that moved me the most.

Christopher-
 In class, Christopher is confrontational, often aggressive toward other students, and unrelenting. He does his work, and he does it well, but he takes personal offense to the misbehavior of others in the class. Though some may write him off immediately as a discipline case for his short temper, after the interview, I could never see him that way. Christopher has never lived with his biological parents. His grandparents raised them, until they both passed away recently in a very short span of time. He then moved in with his auntie, a single mother of two. He has two younger cousins in the house with him; one is three and the other is only a one year old. He plays a major role in their upbringing. A babysitter comes to the house from 3pm-6:30pm each weeknight after school while his auntie works. During this time he must complete all of his homework because once his auntie gets home, he has responsibilities to take care of cousins, who he calls his brother and sister. At 6:30, he helps prepare their dinner and feed the two children. Then, when required, he bathes them before getting them ready for and into bed. Then, he gets his own dinner and must get into bed himself shortly after. Is it any surprise that he told me that his favorite things to do are eat and sleep? For fun, if there is time, he watches cartoons with his cousins or reads comic books. He plays video games occasionally, but only every by himself. He does not have time to have friends over.

When asked what he would do with a million dollars, he said he would donate half to breast cancer research, because that is what killed his grandma, and the other half to his great-grandmother whose house is in danger of being foreclosed. He explicitly said that he would not keep even a dollar for himself. This young man wants to be a family practice doctor because he wants to help people, and I sincerely hope he makes it. Is it any wonder that Christopher has a short fuse? This 11 year-old boy is taking on grown up responsibilities willingly to help out the people he loves most. Every kid has a story, and every story is worth listening to. The next time you come across a challenging student, ask yourself, could he be a Christopher? You'll never know unless you ask.

Worth Watching

This clip is worth all 7 minutes and 42 seconds. Especially if you are a fan of public education and Matt Damon.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqOub-heGQc

The Meaning of Reading

No matter how you look at it, reading is a vital skill necessary for student success. That is why I willingly dedicated all of my 4 hours in the classroom today to assessing student reading and why I will do the same tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow until a team of 7 others and I have tested the reading level of every 6th and 7th grade student in the building. As an avid reader myself, to me, reading is both academic and enjoyable. Many students agree with me, but many, especially those who struggle with reading, don't. Reading for some is a laborious process that requires effort better spent on my self-indulgent activities. Until their reading abilities improve, these students will never understand the joy that comes from 'free reading' as I call it, or the academic freedom that comes with literacy.

The test today consisted of three short stories of varying difficulty that the student was asked to read aloud. A timer was set for 1 minute, and after that minute, the student was instructed to stop and move on to the next reading. Meanwhile, I read along on their score sheet and put a dash through each word they mispronounce or skipped. Students were not marked off for adding words, but they were for substitutions, even between 'a' and 'the' when there was no apparent change in the meaning of the sentence. I was instructed to allow variations on words due to differences in dialect, but no other exceptions could be made for the sake of consistency between test administrators. The final score on the reading test was a combination of the number of words read and the number of words read correctly. The score would result in the students being placed in tiers of reading ability and their scores would be distributed to all of their teachers. All of this in mind, I began testing.

Testing was hard. I wanted to coach and encourage the kids when they came to a word they didn't know, but I could only wait patiently for them to struggle through it, eventually giving up or settling for some butchered pronunciation. But, I had to keep in mind, this is a test of their reading, not my skills as a teacher or reading coach. I saw students fly through the texts flawlessly and students struggle with every 5 or more letter word. One student had a lisp, which made it challenging to determine what words he knew and which he did not. I administered the test to one English Language Learner who spoke slowly, but read with confidence. I administered the test to a female who read with such enthusiasm and with such great nuances that she actually made me laugh at the story I had heard two dozen times already. She didn't read the most words, but she read beautifully. Then there were the kids who sounded out each word, but read them all perfectly but with no nuance at all. There were students who read so quickly that they sacrificed comprehension for speed. And there were kids who with jittery voices, shaking with nerves despite my attempt at a calming demeanor. How can one test adequately assess all of these students?

Reading is more than a score on a test. Reading is a life skill necessary to succeed in American society. It is the key to intellectual freedom and the answer to intellectual curiosity. Reading is fun as well as enlightening. Reading can be a rewarding experience, but like any skill, it must be learned and honed. The reading test I administered today tested only basic literacy, and though the student's final scores fall neatly into a 3 tier system, there are not 3 distinct kinds of readers. Readers are as diverse as students, and each reader should be met where they are and encouraged and coached to improve. Literacy is the right of each student, but it is the responsibility of the teacher to guide them through the process of learning and to stimulate their interest in gaining this skill.

Highlight of the Day

The vice principal of the school came up to me in the hallway before school and asked, "How are you doing, Miss Blanchard?"

"Great, and yourself?"

"Great, too. Hey, were you ears burning last night?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we had a staff meeting last night and a couple people brought up how helpful you've been. You've really made an impression. Good work."

I blush and say, "Thank you."

My First Day

The first day of school was surprisingly less nerve racking than the open house. I feel like a teacher when I stand in the front of a class, and I get a natural high from 26 pairs of eyes following me as I stroll across the room. Instead of making me feel nervous, their attention makes me feel important, as if the next thing I say could really change their life, and in a sense, it can. You never can know how what you say influences your listener, and that is part of the magic of teaching. You may not always see the results, and the results may not be what you intended, but what you say as a teacher could have lasting affects on a student. With that, caution must be paid not only to your words, but also to your actions and reactions, because even when you are not speaking, you are teaching. Students look up to teachers for so many hours a day, and what they see should be exemplary. 

Even just after my first day, my classroom already feels like a second home. I will be spending about as many awake hours there as I will be at home this year, so it is reassuring to know I feel comfortable there and comfortable sharing this home with just shy of 80 learners. I did get butterflies each hour when new students would fill the class, but they quickly dissipated as the class got under way. As a student assistant, my main priority is to observe teacher and student behaviors, but by the end of my first day, I knew this would not be enough to satisfy me. I wanted to get my hands dirty, so I went to the lunch room. I volunteered to have sixth grade lunch duty every day. "You sure about that?" someone asked me. I responded, "Yes, yes I am."

Lunch is hectic. Crazy-hectic, but well worth my time. Lunch is a time for students to be casual and social, and seeing this side of them gives the teacher a better understanding of the student body as a whole. My first observation, the sixth graders are as hyper in the lunchroom as they were in the classroom. They are boisterous, clingy, cliquey, and every last one of them has the most important thing in the world to tell you every minute single minute. In class, they raise their hands for everything. If you make a remark, 10 hands go in the air to mention something related (or unrelated, depending on the student.) For example: I mentioned the university I attend, and a student raised her hand to say that her mom went there. That was it. So the teacher said that was nice and moved on. If you mention a place you've been, they've been there, too. If you mention something you'd like to do, they want to do it, too. If you mention that you have a dog, as the teacher did, they will ask if it is okay if they talk about their fish, or parrot, or lizard. Everything is important to these kids. What I learned from this behavior is two-fold. One, these kids want to share and feel connected to the people around them. Feeling included gives them a sense of security. Secondly, you have to allot time in the schedule for these comments and stories to take place. Especially with 6th graders, you want them to feel comfortable in the classroom and to do that, you must leave them time to share. Sixth graders on their first day are still elementary school students, and they will be for a few months before a combination of puberty, adolescence, and peer pressure kick in.

But back to lunch. I do not regret in the slightest volunteering for this duty. For many students, lunch is their favorite 25 minutes of the day, and I am glad to share that with them. The more time I spend with students, the better I understand them, and the better I can serve their needs as a teacher. Lunch time gives me insights that the classroom can't, and I look forward to continuing the learn from this experience.


Highlight of the Day:

The teacher shares with the class, "I have a dog and cat at home that I love very much."
A young man's hand flies into the air. "I have a lizard! Is that okay?"
"Yes, it is okay to have a lizard." The student smiles. "Thank you for sharing."

Open House

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 6:00pm- Open House

I was nervous. Nervous to meet my Cooperating Teacher (CT), nervous to meet the sub who would be standing in for her on her maternity leave, nervous to meet my 6th and 7th graders, and especially nervous to meet their parents. Now, this wasn't the knees knocking, teeth clattering kind of nervous. Just the butterflies in the stomach, racing heart, smile big so they don't see your lips tremble kind of nervous. A nervous excitement would describe it better.  And don't get me wrong, I was excited. I decided 5 years ago that I wanted to teach, and this was my big break. This was the first impression I could not afford to butcher. This was my chance to to teach and I wanted, no needed, the teacher, the sub, the students, and their parents to all be on my side.

Prior to the open house, my CT and I communicated via email and found out that we were both the same double major: English and Social Studies and that we have similar teaching styles and strategies and similar passions for education. In a few words, when we met, we clicked. I easily checked 'nervous to meet CT' off my list. I had a similar situation with the substitute who shares my passion for teaching, and I checked her, too, off my list. Now, I just had to meet the kids. And then the real test, the parents.

The families that came to the open house were as diverse as the student body. We had families with just a mother, just a father, just a grandparent, or a combination of all three. We had step-siblings, half siblings, adult siblings and kid siblings all in attendance. We had students wandering around on their own having walked to the open house from home. Seeing the students and their various guardians reminded me that diversity describes something beyond an individual's culture. Diversity is what makes me different from you and family structure is but one of a vast number of variants.

Of the forty families I met during open house, there was not a one I did not like. I love families that share my dedication to education and realize the importance of their son or daughters learning, even in these early years of their secondary education. One mother came up to my CT and I and flat out said that she supports teachers and schools and wants to play an active part in her daughter's education. That warms my heart to hear. I wish I could instill that excitement in all parents. Of the parents that came, most shared this commitment to their child's education, which made my night. Seeing that really shows a community's appreciation for education and makes me feel valued as an educator.

At the end of the day, my first open house went smoothly. My smile got bigger as the night went on, not to cover my nerves, but to express my sheer joy at being involved in this school. It is moments like this when you know you've made the right career choice.

Highlight of the Night

A mother of a 6th grader approached my CT and me and asked, "So, which of you's the teacher?" Without a pause, my CT responded, "We both are."


*** I will try and include a short story like this with most of my posts, for those looking for a highlights reel version of my experiences.

First Impressions

When I entered the doors of my new school, I realized that my school is beautiful. Not the bricks, or the tiling, or the cement walls necessarily, but the students who make the school a school.  They are a beautiful collage of colors and shapes and sizes and never before have I seen such seamless diversity. As a Caucasian, I am a minority here. This is new to me, but I love the experience because I feel like I am but one component in this rainbow of ethnicity. I love the foreign words in the hallways and the various stylings of hair and attire that designate the unique environment that we each come from even within the limited geography of our school district.

Above all however, I love my seating chart. My seating chart is the epitome of racial integration. The students were instructed by their teacher on the first day to sit where they'd like, and they did. They sat next to friends of different races and strangers of different ethnicities. They integrated themselves into a beautiful pattern of skin tones unlike anything I had formally seen. Every table represents its own unique blend of culture, and I relish in the fact that I can just as easily integrate myself into their mix. They will, I have no doubt, have as many things to teach me as I do them in the realm of social studies.

I have always in my life been outspoken about my sincere desire for equality among people, but never before have I seen this desire materialized so blatantly before my eyes, and by children none the less. My classroom is what equality looks like. My classroom is what true integration looks like. My classroom is beautiful.

Miss B.- Student Teacher

Who is Miss Blanchard?

I am a teacher. Well, technically, I am a student teacher, but I prefer the term pre-service teacher. I will be working with experienced teachers over the course of this school year to sharpen and hone my teaching skills so that I am prepared to take over my own classroom. This year is sure to offer humor, hardships, hope, and a healthy dose of humility. I will share the ups, the downs, and my insights along the way.