A Really Rough Week

This was the week every student teacher dreads. It's the one where you get your first formal observations. Mine didn't go well. I was already on shaky ground having a Cooperating Teacher who didn't want to share her classroom. I'm told that every teacher feels this way but I think that here it was worse than normal. After my observations there was a huge conference between myself and the administration of the school. I was there for part of it but after I left my supervisor asked that I be given a different classroom. They did. I'm now teaching in 3rd grade instead of 1st. This teacher also is very uncomfortable about giving up her classroom and she has never had a student teacher before. The biggest difference here is that she is teaching to the TEKS which means that as long as I teach to those she will be happy and I can write my own lesson plans or follow hers or modify them as I see fit. Yeah! I won't be stuck in a script that doesn't fit. I'm hopeful and eager to get started and show that I really can teach.

That is the upside of the situation. On the down side, I have to gather together my subjects in less than the normal amount of time. In one week I'll be picking up 2 subjects instead of the usual one. The week I pick up my 5th and final subject I'll be starting my Full Teach. So there is a lot of pressure on me to perform extremely well, better than my best. I'm going to put forth every effort to do this. I will gather what resources I have to help me think of creative ideas. I will make sure I know what my CT planned and write my lessons either around that or to the TEK they follow. She said she would be happy either way.

So, with all this stress going on in my life I woke up this morning to find that I had come down with a cold. My throat is killing me, my nose is running, I don't think I'm running a fever but I'm taking aspirin for the throat. I'm going to bed early. I have to sit in the car shop tomorrow to get my check engine light diagnosed for the 3rd time in a month. Please, please, puleeese! Keep me in your prayers. I could really use them. Peace!