I started student teaching this week. Well, I started going to Oak Canyon everyday. I had some orientation to do but I've mostly just been observing and doing little grading assignments or equipment stuff. I got my very own set of keys to the teacher's lounge, the gym, the locker rooms, and our office. Our (yes, I am allowed to say "our") class did Dance Dance Revolution my first day (have you ever considered doing DDR in a PE class? Cool, huh!) But it's the last week of the term so we have to clean out lockers the rest of the week and then re-assign them next week. Which means there will be about two weeks where I won't get to teach. Last week that would have been fine with me, I wanted to put it off as long as possible, but I am getting antsy. I have decided I don't think I mind the teaching, I just hate the lesson planning. If I could just teach someone else's lesson, that would be sa-weet because then if it's a boring lesson or something I could just blame someone else.
Anyway, the school is amazing. All of the faculty I have met have been very nice and helpful. The whole environment of the school is so cooperative, everyone seems to have each other's back. I am still super uncomfortable calling all of them by their first names, especially the principal. I'm just not ready for that.
They also have this cool program called "eTime" (E for Eagles, the school mascot). Tuesday-Friday there is a short 25 minute period where students with a "D" or "F" in any subject go to their teacher to make up work and everyone else basically gets fun time. They can play basketball in our gym, go watch movies in the auditorium, read in the library (this is actually one of the most popular places to be, isn't that great?), do art projects, all kinds of fun stuff. The principal says they've decreased "F" students down to 1% by using this program. Sounds good to me.
There are 4 periods of 75 minutes each day, 25 minute eTime, and a 30 minute lunch. Except we have 1st period prep every other day, which is nice. and on Monday there is no eTime, classes are a little bit shorter, and the kids get out an hour early. That's when we'll have our department meetings.
Despite the fact that I have done zero teaching and I have basically just stood or walked around the gym, I am absolutely exhausted! I really miss my daily 3 PM nap. I get up at 5:30AM and leave school around 3PM and I could seriously just crash for the night right then. I'm pathetic. I am worried about having to teach physical activity all day, I may pass out. We will team-teach volleyball to the girls, which I can fake my way through but then I have to teach basketball all by myself and plan the unit out…dun dun dun…I am HORRIBLE at basketball. My professors told me I should take a basketball class to build my confidence, which I did. Then this week I've been watching the girls play during eTime and holy moly, they are GOOD! So, yikes-a-bee. Then after basketball I might have to do Ultimate Frisbee. And as someone who is proud of the fact that she had never played "Ultimate" until forced to in class, this is not a good sport either. Also while playing frisbee at BYU, my professor asked, "you haven't done this much before, have you?" When I replied, "no," she said, "I could tell."(Ouch).
So I have my work cut out for me but I am very excited! I think I got the perfect school placement and I'm looking forward to a fun semester!
(Sorry there are no fun pictures to look at and it's mostly just reading. I know it's boring but I thought I would just give you an update.)
