Week Numero 2.5

I had quite the strange start to my placement seeing that Easter fell right in the middle of the first two weeks...so I am just starting my first full week here.  Although I have only been here a short number of days I am starting to feel comfortable and am ready to get going with my own teaching!  I am beginning teaching one of our three classes starting tomorrow! 

I am finally starting to feel the flow of the middle school world.  I have to be honest, those first few weeks were a little rough.  I missed my second graders and I just felt out of sorts coming into this classroom with only nine weeks left of school.  Luckily I have a wonderful cooperating teacher who is letting me jump right in, and the staff at this particular school is extremely kind and welcoming.   I am finally starting to get a feel for this age level and am realizing how wonderful 6th graders are!  I can see why some people love the middle school setting (although those 8th graders still seem a little scary!)

I should mention my experience during my first week!  I made it through my entire first placement in the elementary school without getting seriously sick once...well on the third day in the middle school I had to go home because I got the flu!  It was so terrible, I felt awful leaving on my third day there!  Thank goodness my teacher was very understanding and I was able to come back the next day.

• How are my days set up now that I am in the middle school you might ask?
• My alarm goes off at 6:04 and I enthusiastically jump drag myself out of bed right away after hitting snooze three times. ;)
• I arrive at school every morning at about 7:30.  
• The students are allowed in a little before eight and I stand in the hallway to greet them as they come in.
• Our first block runs from 8-9:30, this is the block I am taking over tomorrow!
• From 9:30-11:00 we have prep time which is crazy to me because in the elementary school there was nowhere near this much time!  Typically we have meetings with other teachers int he building during this time.
• Lunch is at 11.
• At 11:30 we have an enrichment time with a group of students for a half hour.
• From 12-1:30 we have block C.
• From 1:30 until 3 we have Block D.
• Then the day is over!  (Well for the students at least, teachers have to stay until 3:30; although most are there a lot later!)

Well I think that is all I know for now.  I'll try to keep up with my first experience teaching this week.  I also get observed by my professor on Friday, which will probably make me a little very nervous!