First Days of School

Ah, the first days of school.  Since we start our journey of student teaching in the Spring semester, students are already in the routine of school unlike in the fall when they are coming back from 3 months off.  There is however, the beginning of a new marking period (semester) for the students.  Some classes are continuing from last semester and some are new classes, new students and new teachers.  For the classes that are continuing from last semester, the only change is us.  We are the ones that will carry on the classroom rules set in place by the co-op teacher, who are starting in the middle of the learning materials and who need to learn the rules and what is expected.  It is the students that will watch us and make sure we are on the right page.  I looked up various sites to see what other student teachers had to say about their experiences and found quite a few with good advice.

Talk to students, grade papers for the co-operating teacher, talk to the office staff, to other teachers, to other student-teachers in the school working in different departments, and find out what the school offers.  The first days of school in-tale getting yourself acclaimated to the school routine.  The students are use to it, for someone like me who has been out of high school for more than a couple of years, I am the new person. 

For the first days of school, there are the seating charts, school rules, learning the classroom equipment, teaching materials, computer log-ins, parking decals and student teacher ids.  Getting the students into a routine with me at the teacher is something I really look forward to.  I overheard a student say to the co-op that it was nice to have a student-teacher because it gave him a new fresh start with the teacher again when I am done.  I didn't take that negative at all and neither did the co-op.  It actually made us both smile.