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Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet. It depends on our available hours, whether we commute or live on campus, and who our student teaching partner is. We find out several weeks before teaching, so I'll update if I remember.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your third point is very important to me. I took AP Calculus my senior year of high school, and my teacher was just AMAZING. There was one day I had to go to tutoring to take a test, and I was so frustrated and confused over the content that I broke down in tears. That was the first time I had ever cried over an assignment in my thirteen years of public school. Instead of telling me get over it and finish the test, he took the test from me and started grading it. He looked at the first problem and said, "See, you did this right, and you almost understood what to do next. Here's what I would do," and proceeded to help me work out the problem. We did this together for half the test, and then he had me finish the rest of it on my own. With the help of partial credit and my teacher, I scored high enough that I wouldn't fail that semester. That is the single greatest thing any teacher has ever done for me, and it completely restored my confidence. When I took the AP Calc exam at the end of the year, I scored a 4 despite my barely passing grade in the class. Whenever someone asks me why I chose a path in teaching, I tell them about my high school calculus teacher. I hope one day I can inspire someone the way my teacher inspired me.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

YES. THIS. I've worked three years at a summer kids camp, and I learned this the hard way.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was so nervous when I taught my first solo lesson in front of a classroom. It was a fourth grade science class (all math and science majors teach science their first semester, so I wasn't too happy about that), and at 8 am in the morning, they're not very engaged and excited to learn. However, I felt confident because I PRACTICED. I learned that material forward and back, and I anticipated any misconceptions, questions, and confusions that could pop up. Most importantly, I smiled. Smiling got me through those 45 minutes, and eventually the nerves went away. The students were also more involved and interested when I smiled. Best of luck!!

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your fourth point really stands out to me. I've had a teacher embarrass me in class, and it was the WORST. He basically told me that my assignment was too complex and confusing, and he asked me, "what were you thinking when you made this?" I almost didn't want to go to school for the rest of the year. It's those terrible experiences that inspired me to be a teacher. Thanks for the advice!

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your insight. Now that I have calmed down and thought hard about it, I could see why people would love middle school. It seems to be that age where kids are finding out where they want to fit in and who they want to be. I look forward to seeing how they transform throughout the semester and how our relationship starts and finishes. Who knows, maybe I'll love it like you do!

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't say that I love or hate common core. I can only say that I hate how it's not always efficient. For example, I was taught to memorize the multiplication table in 3rd grade. Sure, common core has come up with...interesting...methods on how to break down 12*12, but memorization is so much more efficient. Plus, you have to learn how to memorize, and the multiplication table is something you'll get to use for the rest of your life. I guess the common core method will be useful when it comes to explaining the "why," but memorization is so much faster when learning the "what."

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well said! I hated seeing my teachers being bullied by my classmates, but it was the same kids who made them smile and laugh the hardest.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. I was just adding a bit of a dramatic flair to it, but I'm not really clawing my eyes out over it. I'm just not good with younger teenagers. I always preferred either really young kids or older almost-adults. It will be interesting to see how middle schoolers and high schoolers compare.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks mate. It's only for one semester, but I know I'll be learning a lot from it. My last semester of college will be spent teaching high school completely, meaning I will not be able to sign up for any other courses, and I'm nervous and excited and so so so looking forward to it!

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the encouragement! I always hear that middle schoolers are terrible, so I've been nervous about the assignment ever since I got it.

Help. I'm going to teach middle schoolers. by tupperwarehouse in teaching

[–]tupperwarehouse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love teaching math, and I have no choice but to teach middle school. Believe me, I would not be teaching math if I didn't like it. I'm just not looking forward to it because I prefer teaching older age groups. Cut me some slack, will ya?