Tuesday, March 8, 2016

{solsc} 8/31 #sol16 The Things I Want Her To Notice


Today, my student teacher Amanda starts for real. Yesterday was in-service. Today, my kids come into the picture. And today, having a student teacher makes me nervous. I'm not nervous about her abilities. She's already been hired for next year and she was their top pick. She did a great job in her other placement. But....

Those are my kids. And just like any parent, I want the best for them. And I want people to see the amazing things in them that I do.

I need her to notice

  • My quiet author and the shy smile you get when you read her work
  • The slacker kid who is reading more books this year than ever before
  • The passion of my auto mechanic and how excited he is that I found a car book for him
  • Those crazy political kids really do know what they are talking about
  • My pixie in homebase who needs a smile and support every day
  • My 8th grade Big Bang Theory boys are many, many things besides smart
  • My 8th grade girls are smart too and smart is good. They need positive role models to stay that way
  • The boy behind the hair. And there are several.
  • The ones who are finding their way in the world
  • The sweetness of the snowboarder (and learn his story)
  • The angry boy just wants approval
  • My hunter girl really struggles and needs positive support in class
  • Improv boy is more than funny. He's caring and smart and creative in other ways
  • That sometimes, an "I don't care" attitude is masking a fear of failure
  • That these kids will do anything for a teacher they like
There's more, of course. And, I'm sure she'll be amazing with my kids. Not too amazing, though. They're still mine!

11 comments:

  1. You will teach her how to notice kids. You have a gift for seeing beyond the visual and getting into their heart and mind.

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  2. With you guidance and ability to teach, she will learn and become a caring teacher/mentor. And I'm sure "your kids" will be well cared for by both of you.

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  3. I love this list! I could picture my 7th grade faces in just about every bullet point. Such a great reminder!

    Thanks for sharing!
    (www.amandacornwell.org)

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  4. That is why she is working with YOU - she may already be a natural at teaching, but she will learn so much about students from you! Lucky Amanda! And very lucky kids!

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  5. I was in Amanda's shoes before, and I learned more about how to see and reach kids during my student teaching than I ever did about content. She is lucky, and so are her future students!

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  6. Great list! It really is hard to let them "belong" to someone else for a while. But it will be good for them, too. They'll always love you best!

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  7. What comes through is what YOU notice, the small things that tell big stories. I had a student teacher last year, and this is exactly how I felt, too.

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  8. What comes through is what YOU notice, the small things that tell big stories. I had a student teacher last year, and this is exactly how I felt, too.

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  9. I bet she will see these things when she watches you with your students. It will all be very clear. This is a lovely post.

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  10. I'm sure you will help her learn to notice all those special things about your kids, and she will be a waaaay better teacher because of it! She's lucky to be in your class!

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  11. Having student teachers has become one of my most favorite part of the year! I bet she notices, learns, and feels the same at the end of her rotation.

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