elementary education at my college...

I love my major. Being an Elementary Ed major at my university is so much fun. They give us so many valuable teaching experiences, and the professors are all so helpful and encouraging. 

Right now, in my EDCI class (Effective Teaching Strategies & Methods), we are learning the basic format for writing lesson plans. Of course, we won't have to deal with all of these steps when we are actually teaching b/c school districts only give teachers a 4"x3" area to write each subject's lesson for the day. We have to write four or five page lesson plans that will one day be consolidated into a small square. It is very basic, and I have been writing lesson plans for two years now, but each day, I learn something I didn't know before. 

Last semester, I observed a first grade classroom. It was amazing. My students were so cute and loved being at school, and my teacher was great... until she quit one day. It was quite an experience, explaining to twenty-three six year olds why their teacher was not coming back. I experienced respect from the students that day though. I have never been in a classroom where the students considered me an adult. They all think I'm in high school still: they fight to sit by me at lunch, they fight to hold my hands, they fight to have me push them in the swings. That day, I was teacher, and it felt so right. The students listened to me when I said, "ladies and gentlemen, stay in your seats and keep your lips zipped." 

I sure hope my first classroom of students listen like that sweet class of first graders did that particular morning. 

I tutor second graders two days a week here in my college town, too. I am tutoring a sweet African American child.. we'll call her "Trisha." Trisha is the cutest child ever, but she does not get very much attention at home or at school. She loves to be the center of attention, and she is not doing very good in reading and math. Yesterday, she thought it would be hilarious to douse my chair in febreze before I got there. Of course, I sat in it and will now forever be known as "febreze butt." I scolded Trisha, but bless her heart... I know she's a kid. I used to do goofy things when I was a kid. I locked a babysitter out of my house when I was eight and left her out there for an hour.  I feel terrible about it now, but it was hilarious to me at the time, just like me becoming "febreze butt" was to Trisha. 

I am a junior this semester. This coming fall, I will begin my senior block, AND a year from now, I'll begin student teaching. I have to fulfill two years of teaching in my state, and then, I'll begin working on my Master's degree. (dream grad school: Vanderbilt... I want to get my Master's in Low Incidence Special Education). Low Incidence Special Ed is learning to teach students who are blind & deaf. How amazing would that be? oooh.. to dream.

So, this is my first blog. :D