Long-Short Summer/Field Trip

So I haven't been doing very well at keeping up with blogging for the summer school class that I am teaching at Stillwater High School. I think my experience has been hampered by my other job that I have this summer at Cub Foods. I work overnight so I have been getting less sleep then I am used too. Anyway, I have enjoyed working with this group of students. We have had some good and bad times this summer but that is expected.

I believe that this experience has helped me to realize a few things.
1. Planning for a three hour class everyday is tough ( I know what my college professors go through for interium. Only they do it so much better than I)
2. Teaching Geography is fun...but I don't want to teach it forever.
3. Be firm but flexible...it breeds the best results.
4. Never allow cell phones in class.
5. Every student can be successful...if they want to be.

Monday we are going on a field trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota. There is a Titanic exibit there that we are going to see. I am excited for a number of reasons.
1. The titanic was something that I was very interested in growing up.
2. This would be my first field trip as a teacher.

Hope it goes well.

Mr. P

School Pictures

Summer School

I got a call last week and the Director for the Stillwater Area High School ALC called me. She was looking for a Geography teacher to teach credit recovery. I was very interested because I have been looking for a summer job and I ended up getting two in the same week. The unfortunate part is one is working overnights and the other is working during the mornings M-Thurs for three hours.

I interviewed and accepted both jobs and now have completed a week of summer school teaching. As the week has gone on things have become more and more comfortable within my class. The first day the students you could tell were definetely feeling me out and seeing what type of teacher I was. It was a very tough day for me as well because I had to work the night before and hadn't slept yet. So I had been going for 24 hrs straight basically.

Each one of my students is very unique and will never be named directly on this site because of State law stating student teacher confidentiallity. But from time to time I may tell a story or two generically.

For instance, we were practicing plotting map coordinates today and were plotting the islands of Hawaii. I mentioned that Joslyn and I were thinking about going there for our honeymoon but decided not too because it would have cost a lot of money. The asked were we were going instead. I said, "Duluth". Everyone looked at me weird... like I was nuts..but I said neither one of us had been there and we were excited. Then a "bright" student said...you should just honeymoon at the Maplewood Mall. In a very serious tone. I laughed.

More stories to follow.

Year 1 Life after College

I spent this year substituting in the Robbinsdale, Anoka-Hennepin, and North St. Paul School Districts. It's been a very interesting year for me. this will be a short blog post but I will add a few highlights of this year later.

Some Highlights include:
Students googling boobs on the school computer
Apology letters
Long-term subbing
Cookies
Musicals
Interesting Name comparisons
Mistaken Identities

The Night before the Big Trip

If I said that I wasn't nervous about my upcoming trip to England tomorrow I would be telling a bold faced lie. I am not so nervous that I am going to throw up or faint. But you get my drift. There are a few butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I have all my bags packed. Now it's just a waiting game until tomorrow at 3:00pm when Joslyn and Chelsie take me to the airport.

I'm excited to see another country, its people, sites, and culture. I'm looking forward to being out of my comfort zone for awhile. I can't believe that I just wrote that, but I know that I will enjoy the challenge of living life differently for a period of time. Being in another families home, sharing a meal with people I don't know very well and just hanging out doing with normal people in England do for fun.

I have a feeling that God is going to do big things in my life while I am away on this trip. I am expecting things to happen. Now it's up to His creative ways to make them occur.

Well I had better be getting to bed because tomorrow is going to be a long two days.

Until next time.

Mr. Pappadackis

Reflecting on Student Teaching

Honestly, I thought the Lord Jesus was going to return before I would finish my student teaching this semester. I mean thinking back to September when I first started at Westwood Middle School, I thought December seventh was ions away. However, the Lord works amazing wonders, Doesn't He. I walked into that middle school, a scared, small little person among "master" teachers, and those who even out rank them. Who was I but a dumb student teacher from Bethel University, who had a great knowledge of theory and basic ideas about teaching a classroom.

As I look and reflect on some of the experiences that have occurred during my second placement a few stick out.

First, I remember the first time I taught a lesson to my group of 11th graders. I was terrible, studdering, mumbling, and trying not to look like I don't know what I'm talking about. There were a group of students who kept talking. I had told them a number of times to please be quiet and pay attention. Finally, I had had it with their nonsense, I said very sternly to "Shut-up!" Wow, mistake number one = the entire class just went nuts.

Many of my other memories revolve around being very stern with the students. I had been trying to mold them into really listening to me when I spoke in a normal voice. If I only had about three more weeks, I probably could have achieved it. I have had to deal with fights, verbal arguments, and even complaining parents and I have pushed through it all.

I know feel like I am a teacher, and not just a small little person who is in the school. I really felt like I was a part of the learning community there at Cooper. I have the power to take over a class and turn it around for the better. Students will respond positively to me and want to continue to do well for themselves.

Wow, I sound like an inspirational speaker, I'm Not really one

Until next time when I reflect on my experiences being in a School in the U.K.

Just Two Weeks To Go

Well it's been awhile since I last posted on this blog, It is with my greatest apologies because I have been very busy with my second student-teaching placement. I am in an amazing 9th grade Geography classroom. I really enjoy the cooperating teacher that I am working with. He has been a great support of everything that I have done in the previous six weeks so far. This placement has been very good for me as a pre-professional teacher. I have been working very hard at my classroom management. I have had to work very hard to not let my "nice guy" gene show itself to some of these students. It's been tough. But I'm working at it.
The students that I am working with are great. They are the true reason why I am going into the teaching profession. I have been reminded of that much lately. I find myself starting to really care about the students that I am working with and it saddens me that I have to leave them in a couple of weeks.

Thankful that it's a Thanksgiving Break.

Later.