Student Teaching - Week #6

by Amanda Mast - Curie Metro High School

February 19, 2015

Last week was a short week, but it was still just as exhausting.  While it’s nice to have a day off, I’m starting to realize that the students recharge over the off days as well! They were so chatty, and I’ve found out that my teacher voice is lacking.  I struggled to project my voice, and when everyone is speaking, I got lost in the crowd.  It was something I never realized until this excited week.

I’m definitely starting to feel the pressures of everything.  I’m on my fourth week of full time teaching, and my plans are starting to catch up with me.  It was a week where everything seemed spur-of-the moment and nothing just wanted to work out.  It’s not that any classes went poorly; I felt like everything was just happening off the top of my head.  At first it was very stressful, but then I realized that this is what all the teachers are doing.  All of them are just constantly thinking, planning, and working, and the fact that I made it through this week gave me confidence.  I can do this even when it’s stressful, and I don’t know what is going on.  I’m getting really good at faking it. 

This week we are pushing forward with the hero’s journey, and we are applying this to “The Odyssey.” I’m really excited because we are using a graphic novel which is something many of the students told me they were interested in. Since it is the first novel I’ve ever introduced, I’m sure I will have stories about it for next week! We are even bringing the iPads out so that’s always an adventure too!

This Sunday, we celebrated the Chinese New Year in Chinatown.  Honestly, I don’t know if I would have even thought about going, but my roommate’s uncle invited us to have lunch and watch the parade. I knew right when we walked into the restaurant that it was going to be exciting! A majority of the people eating were men in kilts with their bagpipes next to them.  Not something you would expect for the Chinese New Year, but the music was enjoyable while we ate! Plus we managed to make friends with a few of them! The parade was also very colorful and loud. It was just a taste of the Chinese culture but I’m so glad I went. It was the perfect weekend event.