Genre Reflection 1

Dear Ms. LaFever,

            Can you believe it has been five years since I was last in your class?! I can’t. Sometimes I miss high school because it was simple; all I had to do is show up to my classes and do the work. I remember how you used to interrupt my easy daily routine by challenging me in your class. I could not just come to your class and breeze by each semester; you always made us think about everything we did and talked about. You are the main reason why I decided I wanted to become a teacher. I want to become just like you: challenge my students and teach them valuable lessons (not just the state standards) while still respecting them and treating them like adults instead of just pesky juniors and seniors. And if we ever had any problems or just needed someone to talk to, you were always there for us. And what was great was that you not only listened to us, but always had great advice or resources to give us to help.

            I did not go into this thinking it would be easy; I knew it would be challenging. When I first entered college, I thought I wanted to major in just English. Boy, am I glad I changed my mind. Yes, I love reading literature and books and whatever else, but I am not the best at analyzing it or writing big papers. I love listening to others analyze and discuss a text, but I cannot contribute. And who is to say I would get a job after graduation?! But with English education, I can take what I know and have learned about literature, grammar, and any other skills having to do with reading and writing and share them with students. I can put all of my schooling into helping others learn, improve their lives, and prepare them for adulthood.

            I wish you were still here so I could tell you about me teaching my first mini unit. I have a great class; they are well behaved and actually do not mind being in class. Of course there are a couple who need more attention and work put into them, but they are still great kids (I started the semester out with 30 kids, but now I am down to about 25. Thank goodness!) I taught my first class yesterday. Yes, I taught the whole 45 minute class! As you would probably guess, my voice was not loud enough. You know that because I was never much of a talker and never developed a loud, annoying voice! But that is what I am working on today: talking louder so my whole class can hear me and follow along. I also need to slow down. I know this is an issue that I have to work on. I am just scared that I will not be able to get everything in in a day that I want. But I have to remember that if I rush, yes I might get covered what I need to, but how much of it will the students understand and remember? Not much. So I need to slow down and take my time and not rush the students, and give them enough time to absorb what I am saying.

            Yesterday I had my first issue; it was not that big of a deal, but it was a problem during my lesson. I was pairing students up to partner read and one boy did not like the partner I choose for him so he would not get out of his chair and move over and sit beside her. Thankfully, my mentor teacher was there to help me. We could not get him to move so they both read by themselves. If my mentor teacher was the one teaching, he might have still put up a fight, but he probably would have moved eventually. It’s hard to start teaching when the students are used to you being a teacher aid-type person in the classroom, not the one giving direct instructions. To insure he receives the same reading experience as the other students, next time they pair up, he will not be put with that girl.

            I really miss you and I hope everything is going great up in heaven. Just so you know, you have tons of students down here missing you. Just imagine all those juniors and seniors at Kapaun who have not gotten to be taught by you. They are really missing out!

Sincerely,

Megan Rodriguez