Friday, September 4, 2009

Student Teaching Update

Kids are so funny. My 5th and 6th graders are finally past that "new-class apprehension" and are letting their real personalities shine. And oh boy! do some of them have personality!

I don't really want to be there, as I've expressed before, since I'd rather be at home caring for my house and my family. But once I walk in the door I'm making the best of it. And I am coming to adore those children. Pre-teens have such a strange balance of child-like and adult behavior. One minute they have their act together, the next they're in tears over something small -- the boys too. They're real sweethearts, eager to please (until the next distraction pulls them away).

If I ever do end up in a situation where I have to work, this is where I'd like to do it. I feel like every day I'm doing a little something for these kids. So many of them have rough home lives. The rest have incredibly permissive parents. What both groups need is caring adults to invest in their lives. I feel very strongly about being home investing in my own children, but I wouldn't be surprised to be back in a classroom sometime in my life.

However! Through all this, and because I'm at an innovative, multiage, continuum-based school, I've found the perfect curriculums for my home school in a few years. That is, once I have kids and they get old enough to play school with me.

If anyone needs recommendations on writing or word study (i.e. spelling) curriculums, let me know! My poor brain can't wait 6 years to try them ;-)

P.S: Mrs. G, I can't access your blog anymore!

1 comment:

Amy said...

Dear Jenny -- while you're waiting for your own tiny blessing, it sounds like God can really use you during this short time that you're student teaching. In my early years, there were teachers and mentors that were in my life for very short moments and I remembered them forever because of how they impressed me. Sometimes, the smallest encouragement given to me by a teacher I admired would make me feel like I could achieve anything.

BTW, I'm planning to home school my little one (and hopefully start on some things early, like reading). I'd love any advice you might have on preparing for it. You can email me at "amckinney @ colortyme.com". Omit spaces, of course. :)