Student Teaching - Week #4

by Victoria Johnston - Mitchell Elementary

Preparing the ice rink at Millennium Park

This weekend I checked an item off my “bucket list” by going ice skating in Millennium Park. I grew up around the ice and love to ice skate, but before today I had never skated outdoors. There was something thrilling about skating with the city skyline in the background, the Bean above me and a line of rotating spectators. My friend Cait and I spent $10 on skate rentals and tested our spatial senses by weaving through the crowds and chains of high school girls holding hands. We even witnessed a proposal in the middle of the ice that received many “awwws” and applause.

Progressive Dinner

A unique activity I also participated in was the Chicago Semester progressive dinner. About twelve apartments signed up to cook an appetizer, dinner or dessert and any student who wanted to partake meandered from room to room tasting a variety of foods from tacos to banana bread. It was a great opportunity to form relationships with people in the program I rarely see as well as see the sights of the Canterbury Court Apartments.

I have been in my student teaching placement almost a month now. The time has flown by and I have gotten to know my 36 fifth graders much better than I thought I could in that time. I finally feel like a teacher. While it is a learning curve to maintain classroom management in a group of 36 students, I am developing my own styles of teaching as well as quickly learning the dos and don’ts of teaching mathematics.

As a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day, the Mitchell student council is selling something called “lolligrams” that students can buy to send to friends or give to family. I received two from one boy in my class and another from one of the girls. I definitely feel the love from my students already. Seeing my students come to me with questions (even if I don’t always know the answer) before my cooperating teacher also is a small reminder I have been accepted as Miss Johnston, their teacher. With that title comes more responsibility, though. My comfort teaching math is just beginning but next week marks my first language arts lesson. Each week brings new surprises and challenges and I excitedly await what this new week will bring.