Well.... its been two weeks and my, does time fly....
For my last practicum, I was working with grade 6 students at Westwood Middle School. This time around I am working with both grade 7 and grade 8 students at Runnymede Public School. Although it is only a couple years between these grades, the difference seems much greater.
First off, I noticed that students took a lot longer to warm up to me being in their classroom, and seemed hesitant to approach me. Another major difference that I've noticed is in terms of their behaviour. At this point, students are trying to test their boundaries and see just how much they can get away with. I had been presented with the opportunity to be in charge of the classroom on a number of occasions while my associate teacher was away. Although a supply teacher was always present, they were mostly there as support while I was able to take charge of the classroom.
For me, this proved to be one of the greatest learning experiences so far. It was only after being in that position that I gained respect from the students and came to fully appreciate the role of the teacher in the classroom and the school.
