If Success is Measured by Facebook Friend Requests, Then I Think I Did Good!

So that's a recording of my first day of student teaching that I took on my ipad today. As you can see, it went extremely well! In all seriousness though, today was awesome. It was your basic first day kind of stuff. I gave the kids a letter that outlined my goals and expectations for the time that I am with them and began to outline the upcoming units (you can view that handout here:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B003QpF8WxQAN2MxNzFmYjQtN2FhZC00YTg1LWI0N2YtMzJlYWM0NmRjNzVm

I realized however that while my new years resolution of crunches and push-ups before bed may be well intended, I should have been working out my voice as well, because by 5th period my voice was cracking like one my pubescent students. I had a lot to do this morning so I went in at 6 am, which is the time my co-op gets there every day (crazy). As I began making my handouts, I realized Millersville has prepared me well in the area of pedagogy and content, but not so well in the "copier use" department (I apologize to the rain forest for the damage I did today).

One thing you learn quickly when you're in front of kids is the difference between quiet and listening. In the time I spent in the class last semester I often experienced crickets, and not the good kind. However today, I can say honestly that 80% of the time I was in front of the class today kids were engaged. They really latched on to a lot of the new ideas I presented to them. As I guided them through what was for many of them their first free write, I saw the same fear in their faces at the idea of sharing their writing that I had in mine over a year ago when the idea was first introduced to me.

Like I shared yesterday, fear is a part of life. That fact is just as true for my students as it is for me. However, often this fear is ignored. Teachers don't want to deal with it because often it leads to silence, and silence is scary. But eventually, if you embrace that silence, and you affirm that silence kids will share. It is through this destruction of walls and comfort zones that real learning can begin. I'm not there yet. I have a lot to do before I can establish the classroom community that I feel is most conducive, but today I planted a seed.

When I came home I had three friend requests waiting for me from students. This is terrifying for me. Todays culture is not so supportive of teachers being friends with students on social networks. I have my own views of this idea, but as a student teacher I definitely cannot take any risks, and my profile is in no way ready to be combed over by my students, so I denied those requests immediately. But as I sat at my desk checking emails I realized that I had three friend requests from STUDENTS. My students are interested in getting to know me, and that's a hell of a start.