Points of Reference

A lot has happened since I began student teaching way back in January. I am now in the middle of my fifth week and my students are still calling me things that seem to rhyme with my name like Mrs. 'Frosty' and 'Defrosty' and so on. I can't really blame them, though, I can't seem to remember about 30 of their names, even though they only need to remember one. Here are some things that have occurred of which I will look back on and draw from when working with other students in the future.

1. The other day, I was very impressed by how quickly a group of boys in my basic (special needs) biology class were completing a rather challenging activity--the same activity that seemed to stump and slow-up my regular biology class groups. So, naturally I expressed how happy I was with their work by saying that they had finished it correctly quicker than any of the other groups I had given that particular puzzle to the day before. The boys were pleased to hear that and smiled and one boy said, "And we're in the basic class!" I was taken aback when I heard that because I had not complemented them on the basis that they were in the 'basic' class and the others were in, what they consider, a class for higher-intelligences. I frowned and told them that it didn't really matter because they were learning the same exact curriculum that the other classes were. But it made me think. People, especially kids, don't necessarily define the labels they are given in life before they receive them. Sometimes, people become those labels after being made to believe that is who they are and that is what defines them. So now I wonder... are those kids in the basic class really acting to their fullest possible potential or are they working to define the label they were given before they even had the chance to find out what their potential was?

2. Today I had some interesting conversations with the special ed. team at school during my prep period. We talked about a particular boy I have in my basic class and I inquired about his interests. I also inquired about why he seemed so unambitious and so unmotivated in anything we had him do. Needless to say none of us could come up with a reason for this in our conversation. Then we started talking about what became of students like these after they graduate or don't graduate and are nevertheless on their own. The conversation ended and it seemed that no one knew.

3. In other news... we have been keeping seven mice (four females and three males) in separate cages according to sex for the Advanced Placement students to use for a neurology unit and to run in a maze. Well, one of them, the control mouse, looked a little... lumpy around the midsection so I began thinking that she might be pregnant. Well, low and behold over the weekend she had roughly eleven babies they call pinkies. Yay! I have included a few pictures of both the mice and the babies.

4. Each day of student teaching gets better. I have learned that in this case especially, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. So far the days that I have taken over for have been the best. I have also learned that it's more fun to teach than to observe!