The beginning...

and so i began my first teaching block...as of yesterday anyways.

I shouldn't say i never saw this coming, but teaching is definitely a whole other world. You don't really know what it will be like until the day you live it. All i have to say is...having a split 4/5, two separate teachers (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), and two different classrooms is not an easy task at all.

Sunday night i got the nerves about teaching my very 1st lesson that I had to plan. then again, it wouldn't be my very 1st lesson either. But the idea that this was it, it was my time, and that everything i do from here on in counts...scared the jebbers out of me. MC told me the friday before that I'd be focusing on a full science unit for my grade 5's....Human Body....fun stuff right???? Yes but when you never majored in science nor have any resources to help you plan...the weekend ahead proved to be a challenge. Needless to say, I was very excited about the whole idea about doing this from start to finish...besides I had already made a consecutive lesson on this very exact topic for my science pre-service class. So really i have a leg up on this.

I decided that i wanted to keep track of my students work throughout this unit to make it easy for me and for them so i made a workbook of handouts and what not that we'd be doing throughout. As great as that seemed, I realize that our school has a shortage of paper and the teacher's have to provide it. Well my idea went straight out the window....okay not quite but can you imagine the conundrum that brought. In the end, i didn't abandon the idea totally, i just have to be paper conscious and try to get the kids to write more with 3 ring paper and what not.

Tuesday morning rolls around, and before i know it i'm standing in front of the class trying to sell this Human Body Unit to them. They were estatic...grossed out that we'd be learning about the internal workings but estatic. I did a bit of a diagnostic to see where they were at...started with a science Q's to get their brain working and then had them complete a KWL chart in small groups. This part ended up taking two days. I have come to realize how fast times goes and how every little second is precious when trying to get your whole lesson in especially when you don't have the class the whole day in one room. But i'm not bothered by it too much, time will always be a teacher's enemy...just have to learn to be that much more flexible.

KC told me she wanted me to take care of Drama during my teaching block....Great except that I never liked drama growing up - it is definitely not my Forte. Give me art or math or even science i can manage but Drama...boy oh boy! I had Drama with my 4/5s in the afternoon for 2 periods...100 minutes of drama, kill me now. But just like science, they were off the wall about it. We brainstormed what is was and how we could model good role-playing and in groups of 5 had them role-play a scene about honesty. They really rose to the challenge. The presentations were great, a lot of them got right into their character, and it was soo much fun to see them have a good time with it. so hollywood here i come....

nap time for me and then plan for tomorrow's science lesson on the digestive system :)