Quote of the Week ~ Teaching...

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”
  ~ Phil Collins

It has been a good experience working at Lincoln Academy (a public Charter School). I am a teaching assistant ("TA") for Mrs. Otto and she's a wonderful teacher. She teaches 7th, 8th and 9th grade English, about 160 students. She is so young and has only been teaching for two years. I help her any way I can in the classroom. I have graded papers, recorded grades in the computer, ran errands, and made copies. I also help with classroom management, like discipline problems. I also help with traffic safety after school, monitor the halls, lunchroom and the playground. Good times! The students are generally very good but there is always that one!
 

I didn't know this when I accepted the job, but if the teacher is absent the TA is the substitute. Mrs. Otto is in charge of the Student Council and they had a retreat at a cabin in Heber on Friday, so I became the teacher. Mrs. Otto had the lesson plan for the day so I just had to execute it. I wish I could say I was as cool as a cucumber but I was nervous the night before. I studied the lesson plan many times and was as prepared as I could be. The first two periods are 7th graders and it went so well. I also had homeroom and we talked about bullying. We did some roll play and talked about being kind and respectful. Last period was the 9th graders, a little more challenging but over all it went great. I did finish early but the class read and did homework.

When I get nervous, my internal temperature rises, I get hot and sweaty! I turned down the thermostat in the room and every time the students came in the room they would say, "It's so cold in here." Ha Ha!

I get up at 6:00am now so I can still exercise. The mornings are so beautiful and quiet. I do get home around 3:00pm but it's highly unlikely I would exercise then!









I did learn a lot that day.  I never thought I would be teaching school, I was amazed that I could overcome my fears and actually do a pretty good job. I also learned that kids have a way of rising to the occasion, they want to be challenged and if you expect the best from them you will get it!
And I learned to never let them see you sweat!

Ya, I taught school!!