Teacher Post #2

I read Once Upon a Time, I was THAT newbie by Paula White. She was called in as a teacher ten days into the school semester. The other two classes were full and the veteran teachers picked out ten or so students out of their class to go into her class. Come to find out these students were the “unwanted”. Either family life was different from the norm, work ethic was not taught or applied and some behavior issues were at rise. As a new teacher, this could be considered your worse nightmare. She was able to make a bond with these students as she taught and learned from them. She was able to what veteran teachers hope to do, make a bond. Being able to see students that you have made a difference in their lives ten years later and they still remember you is something I want to achieve as a teacher. My dad had been a teacher for almost 25 years. I go places and people hear my last name and say, “Are you Mr. D’s daughter?” Of course I say yes did he teach or coach you. They always reply with, “He was my favorite teacher. He helped in ways I still use today.” To have that kind of respect from students with all different backgrounds, family lives and personalities, is something I hope to achieve. At the end of her blog post, Mrs. White stated that teachers are sometimes their own worse enemies. The veterans gave her the students they did not want. They didn’t want to have to deal with. As a veteran teacher, shouldn’t you want to make a difference? Shouldn’t want to be the one that says I want to that kid. He has potential. Regardless of race, background, family history, work ethic or behavior issues. Instead, the veterans gave the newbie teacher these students and went on their way. In my opinion, even though she was a new teacher, she was better for those students than the veteran teachers were. I responded to her blog post saying, Dear Paula,I am currently a student at The University of South Alabama. I am taking an education media course and my teacher directed me to your blog. I am very nervous to start out as a teacher. I am terrified I will be horrible, have kids that don’t care and that I won’t make a difference. I would like to hope that more veteran teachers care about what you are saying. A new teacher on their first job is already nervous enough. Why give them a group of “overload” children that you don’t want? Why make it harder for the new teacher to adjust to what is going and who they are dealing with. This post is very inspirational. I am very excited about my journey as a teacher. There are always those students that don’t have the work ethic or don’t know how to apply themselves. There are those students who don’t have the family life we wish all children had. I only hope I can make a bond with those students nobody wants like you have. Thank you. You can also read my blog about this post and others I posted. Any comments or suggestions are very welcome. I am eager to learn from Veteran Teachers.

I read Incidental Learning by Paula White. She is discussing her going back to fill in for a Kindergarten teacher in which she used to teach Kindergarten and wants to go back into the classroom and teach again before she retires. She was saying how when reading a book to the class she had a few students not engaged. She gave them the opportunity to sit and listen to her read or go to the other side of the classroom and keep talking quietly to each other. They opted to stay and listen to her. She said she hoped they learned that it's not Okay to talk while someone else is talking and hoped they realized how fun it could be to interact with the whole class. I commented on this post that I am 25 years old and currently enrolled at the University of South Alabama under the instruction of Dr. Strange in his EDM310 class. I have always said that it takes a special person to understand and teach a Kindergarten Class. Just by reading this post I know you are that type of person. Giving five and six year olds the decision to listen to you read the book or go and talk by themselves is something I think most teachers don’t think of. Letting them choose to be a part of a class discussion or not, and having them choose to be in the class discussion is amazing. Teaching them they have a choice and you listen and respect to that choice is something very important for their egos. I have a 3 year old and she is a sponge. I also nanny a little girl who is in first grade now. I was with her when she started Kindergarten and even after a few weeks I saw a huge difference. She was reading and writing and this was all in the first semester. Again, I feel you have that special touch in giving Kindergarteners the ability to share, discuss and have an imagination which is most important. Thank you for the post.