Part Seven, My So Called Blog continues...

It is finally fall in Philadelphia! I broke out my scarves and semi-light weight jackets and stored away my open toe shoes. I will miss sunlight in the late afternoon. Since I do most of my work at night, perhaps the early nightfall will promote more productivity?

This week I got to see the elementary kids in their full Halloween glory. I’m not going to lie, six, seven and eight year olds are kind of scary when they have, what I like to call, “candy eyes”. The anticipation the kids experience when planning their ceremonial candy driven collection mission is intense. The power a teacher possesses as the candy keeper is shocking. I knew kids like candy, but I actually saw tears when the teacher threatened to cancel their trick or treat classroom Halloween party. All of this over a fun-sized packet of whoppers? Instances like this remind me how much I have to learn about working with children.

I wrote my first lesson plan this week, a milestone for a teacher in training. The lesson will be about graphing, bar and picto-graphs. Even though I have been working in Classroom 206 since September, the first day of school, I am still nervous about being the teacher on center stage. I lead small groups often enough why am I so nervous? I guess I fear that the lesson will have a Goldilocks effect, academically speaking. Maybe the lesson will be too challenging or not challenging enough? Or, even more probable AND complex, too challenging for some and not challenging enough for others? Ahhh!