Middle School and The Sneetches

I was sad to leave my second grade class and move into my middle level dyad (even though middle school is where I initially wanted to be). I had become attached to the youngsters in such a short period and they were really pulling at my heart, knowing I had to leave for a while. However, the middle school experience has quickly changed my mind once again and I now want to pursue the middle level grades! I have had such an excellent experience working with sixth graders. They are such unique people; still at a children’s age, but also on the verge of those teenage years where so much changes.

I was anxious that the lesson I was presenting on the Sneetches was going to be a wash and that students would not take me seriously, be disrespectful or be completely disengaged. It was quite the opposite, though. The lesson went well and smoothly and the students were actively participating the entire time. I knew that this could easily change class to class and that it could be successful one day, but not the next. So, although my cooperating teacher commended the lesson, I know that so many variables exist. Teaching the same lesson three times is nothing in respect to how teaching middle school really is. Since the Sneetches lesson, I have taught a few more lessons and each one has gone just as well. Part of the reason rests on the fact that my cooperating teacher has such impressive classroom management already. Therefore, the class behaves just as well for me as they would for her. I understand that this type of experience will not always be consistent, but it inspires me to teach this grade. The way I can interact and joke with the students is on a completely different level than the way I interact with my second graders. I feel I can express more of my personality and communicate with this age much easier. Now, I am sad to leave this school and this age of students. This short experience has increased my level of excitement for teaching a sizeable amount.

"Working the Gap"

Reading about working the gap and observing a first hand account of the gap being worked is quite different. As I read Bill Ayers months ago, I envisioned these fantastical ideas that I would implement into my future classroom. Not to say that I will not still strive to meet these ideas, but as I begin to see the "real deal" happening I have a greater appreciation for the urgency of closing the gap.

I witness my cooperating teacher of 26 years teach a class of 30 students; students full of uniqueness across the board. Of the 30 students, 16 are ESL, 5 are ELL, 2 are ADHD and 1 is autistic. The culture in this classroom is amazing. There are students from Ethiopia, Japan and Mexico. The range of ability is also vast. Some students can read whole books well above their grade level and others can barely read at all. My cooperating teacher is graceful in so many ways, however her frustration is sometimes palpable. The struggle to get through any lesson where each and every student is on track seems unrealizable. Teaching this class is demanding. I am beginning to understand that even the simplest of tactics is important.

As I read Ayers initially, it was like watching a parachuter from the safety of the ground. Now, as I live in his words, it is like being the parachuter-free falling to Earth. The emotions are that much more intense and so much more is on the line. I enjoy and value the diversity in this classroom and I welcome the challenge, but I have so many questions.

For now, my biggest question is: How will I be able to best teach a group of diverse students that need a slower pace, when I have a curriculum timeline to adhere to?