Back to the Basics: Third Grade

This time, five years ago,  I was headed off to my first year of college. I was emotional--nervous, excited, unsure of what to expect. Starting a new chapter of my life at a new school with many new people. Now, five years and 15lbs later (thank you, campus dining) I am beginning another new chapter: Student teaching. But I find that September of 2011 isn't much different than September of 2006. This morning I headed off to a new school with many new people. I was emotional--more excited than nervous. More than anything though, I was ready.

I have chosen a different path than most for my field experience. I am working with the Institute of Urban Education, a program that gives student teachers like myself the opportunity to experience teaching in an urban area.  Urban schools present their own unique set of challenges: race, poverty, homelessness, to name a few. College instilled in me a passion for social justice, opening my eyes to issues created by discrimination based on race, among other things.  What better place to explore how this effects education than in the most segregated city in the country. 

I am working with a 3rd grade class of 16.  All of my students are black.  My cooperating teacher is white, but the make up of the staff is pretty evenly split. 

It is too early to determine what this placement holds for me. What will shock me, what will excite me, what ah-ha moments will I have, what will make me want to cry?  Today it started with this:  The students were working on All About Me books which included four pages worth of writing prompts with space for illustrations. The last prompt said, "If you could wish for one thing, what would it be?"  To give one of my students encouragement to stay on task, I read this prompt out loud and asked him what he thought. After a short pause, he said, "I wish that no one would die, and no one could feel pain, and everyone would be twenty so you would age slowly."  I was speechless. When he came back to the question later, he ended up writing "life would be better".

I have a lot to learn from thee students.  I'm sure they'll teach me just as much, if not more, than I will teach them. Although these first two days are almost throw aways, it will be a good chance to get to know my students and get a glimpse of what's in store for the semester ahead.

Today, I am a teacher.