Online Reflection 3 –
Finally Being the Teacher
11 weeks
later and I am finally treated like the classroom teacher (most of the time). I
have been struggling, like most student teachers, to make the students see me
as the teacher and person in charge of the classroom. At the beginning, when my
mentor teacher was still sitting in on every class, students would ask her to
use the restroom, get a drink, etc. and I would feel kind of sad because I was
the teacher and they were supposed to ask me for those things! However, 11
weeks later I am extremely grateful every time they try to ask her for
something because it is one less time they are bugging me!
One way,
according to Bomer, that teachers can create a relationship with their students
as well as get to know them is to focus the in-class assignments and literature
to focus on your students’ lives so they can create connects between their
lives and the texts. “We need to know what students know and how they think
about literacy in order to help make connections to new ideas and practices”
(21). That is what I was trying to do in my KPTP unit on diversity; I wanted to
read a story that my ESOL and Latino students could connect to. They were embarrassed
to contribute to discussions, but their quick writes and individual reflections
were very thoughtful and reflective because they were able to read and write
about a topic they were familiar with and could relate with.
A couple weeks ago, I aired my
struggles in class and my classmates gave me some really great feedback. They
assured me that everything will work itself out. One classmate suggested that I
let my students know that I am the person who creates and grades their
assignments because they do not see the work I do before and after class. My
mentor teacher also gave me some advice to improve this relationship; she told
me that I need to hold each and every student to my expectations. When I show
them that I will not budge on what I am asking them to do, they will continue
to learn to see me as the adult in charge, not my mentor teacher. It is hard
because my mentor teacher has had the whole year to develop the relationships
she has created with the students.
With the advice and support of my
classmates and mentor teacher, I have come a long way since the beginning of
the semester. I have learned to use my voice and presence to show the students
that for the time being, I am in charge of the class. I know I will continually
grow and grow as I move from student teaching into a full time teaching
position.
