Wider Views -- Beth

Something we talked about earlier this week in my seminar class was response to various issues like cheating or disruptive behavior. Our class had several experienced teachers (like over 40 yrs of combined teaching experience) in the room telling us how they have dealt with these types of issues. One experienced teacher stated that we as incoming professionals need to decide what we want our students to walk away with at the end of the semester -- which is hopefully much more than just a better understanding of our content material. In the examples the other teachers gave us, what was clear to me was the ability to listen and be patient with the students and not just assume that the issue’s solution would be black and white. This is not to say the teachers were push-overs. For example, one teacher told us how he responded to irresponsible lab behavior. Instead of banning labs for the rest of the semester (a threat that perhaps was warranted after the poor behavior), the teacher the following day informed the students that he expected adult like behavior in the lab and knew the students could handle this opportunity and that they would be repeating the same lab they did the day before until they could do it correctly. The students then performed as the teacher expected. During my student teaching time I often feel “busy” with all the planning and grading, but this class caused me to reflect on the broader reasons of why I want to be a teacher, to encourage student’s creativity, inquiry, and enjoyment of the scientific world around them, but also the feeling of what it is like to be in a respectful classroom (which I hope I maintain).

YES! -- Beth

"Yes," such a commonplace expression, but a word I feel has described my first few days of student teaching in a way that has made me feel like "the" teacher.

Do I have a great cooperating teacher? Yes! I have to say I have the best cooperating teacher / mentor in that she is creative, integrates technology at any chance she can within the classroom, and I admire her flexibility as a teacher. At the start of my student teaching, she challenged me to take over the class I felt the least ready to take over. This class was the largest of our classes, contained the liveliest students, and was also the class I had been in the least due to my graduate course scheduling so the students did not know me as well. What did I answer to that challenge? “Yes,” of course I’ll do it! I would have to say the student teachers in our program are all “YES” people when it comes to immersing ourselves in our school experiences (just read all the other blog posts).

Probably the best thing my cooperating teacher did to get me feeling like a teacher was to leave the room. Over the past few days, I have seen a slight progression by the students as they begin to ask for my assistance instead of seeking out their regular teacher. At first the students asked for their teacher, but by Friday when we did a lab in class, the students (when they needed assistance) were calling my name. At one point, I found myself answering “yes?” to students who needed help with calculations, to students who needed help with a lab step, to a student that was absent the day before and needed help with the notes. Though every class will not be as free flowing as Friday’s lab day, I feel that the students are seeing me as their teacher. As I settle into student teaching, I find I am loving being in the school and around the students. The day flies by when I am interacting with the students and enjoying what I do. I have been in the work force previously where I watched the clock tick slowly by until I could leave. It is not like that at all now. For this, I exclaim “Yessss,” being a teacher is awesome!

Bios of Some Amazing Teachers

Sam is teaching math to sixth graders. He is looking forward to the chance to consistently be in the classroom and see his long term goals and units come to life during student teaching.




Kare is teaching two blocks of Intensified English for tenth graders and one block of eleventh grade Advanced American Studies. She is looking forward to seeing her students everyday and interacting with them in a more direct manner. She hopes that teaching them everyday as compared to once or twice a week will help her develop a better rapport with them and allow her to better see their academic progress.


Beth is teaching chemistry to grades ten through 12. She is looking forward to spending every day with the students because chemistry students are awesome. She also looks forward to not having anymore graduate classes.



Eric is teaching 12th grade English. He is most looking forward to developing a consistent professional relationship with his students. He also wants to be a fixture in the classroom and he wants a more panoramic view of their learning as compared to the spot-visit view he has been receiving.



Cati is teaching Spanish II to 9th and 10th graders and AP Spanish to 11th and 12th graders. She is most looking forward to having a regular schedule of interacting and working with her students. She is also excited to continue teaching so she can grow more confident in her skills and more trusting in the workability of the best practices for foreign language instruction that she has been learning about this year. She is excited to be in school every day and to be on the same schedule as the students so through that continuity and regular interaction her rapport with students can grow to the point where she can learn how to best teach those particular students



Raggs is teaching the social studies portion of eleventh grade American Studies. He is looking forward to putting into practice the skills he has learned in a more direct and constant way in order to develop better relationships with his students. He is also excited to see if he will in fact enjoy teaching and helping students learn as much as he thinks he will based on his past experiences.




Amelia is teaching three regular English and one intensified English for seventh graders. She is most looking forward to working with her students because they are delightful.