Week #4 February 09-13 This week was a bit unusual because the school held many activities. I was able to give class to both my practice group and observation group. I usually only do this when the class is a bit more easy going according to the lesson plans because I feel more prepared since the second group is a bit more challenging, behavior wise. I was able to be part of the school-wide Spelling Bee. I was the pronouncer throughout the entire competition and it felt great to be such a vital part of the process. It was a great opportunity to integrate with the English faculty because the practice students were able to work hand in hand with the teachers and we were able to receive a lot of insight into their organization and planning processes. On Wednesday I was not present at the school due to an orientation we received at the university and it was an odd feeling. I am so used to being there every day of the week and that absence really bothered me. I felt like it was my responsibility to give them the material for that day and even though Mr. Bonkosky did exactly that, when I arrived to the classroom the next day I felt a bit lost. I knew that the students had already started working with an activity the previous day, but it was odd seeing their work already half done. I had no idea where they had left off the previous day or what they were working on independently and so that day a lot of time was consumed by me reading their progress on the assignment and giving them ideas for editing, something that would not have happened if I had not been absent the previous day.
This experience gave me a different perspective towards the importance of good attendance in the classroom. I know assistance is always important but after this I was able to see how it affects the learning process. It is not a good feeling to feel lost in your own classroom! This week the students were also working with creating their own deity and they demonstrated to have amazing creative skills. I was really impressed with the work they did. I couldn’t help but compare their minds with adult minds when it comes to creative aspects. Sometimes when adults are challenged to use their creativity, they tend to stay away from the extraordinary. Instead, my students only want extraordinary and daring things and it a great feeling to be able to see their work manifest those tendencies. It motivates me to do more daring and odd things. It was also great to see that when they are asked to create something, they go beyond what is asked from them. One example would be the deity. When told to create their own Greek deity, students were given an outline to follow that contained some ideas and requirement. One of the students not only followed the outline suggested by me but he also composed his own song for his deity. He even sang me the song he had composed which, by the way, used Old English. Seeing students push their creativity is one of the most exciting things about the practice teaching experience.