This week has been full of ups and downs. I continue to enjoy the dynamic and always changing role a teacher plays in the school. The day goes by so quickly with so many different joys and challenges faced. At times it is so much fun, I can hardly believe that people get paid to do it. At other times it can be so infuriating that no amount of money seems worth it.

I taught a very successful dance lesson this week (even the boys were into it), followed by an utter failure dance lesson the following day (note to self, grade 7 boys don’t enjoy dancing to “Happy” by Pharrell). My math lessons mostly went well this week, I think most students are enjoying probabilities.

My poetry lesson observed by my FA did not go as smoothly however. The students appear to be testing the limits of my patience by acting out, especially when they know I’m being observed. I’ve received feedback that I need to ‘come down hard’ on several of the students, and essentially, stop being so nice. This should be relatively easy for most people, but for me, it doesn’t seem so simple. I find it difficult to ‘act’ in a certain way that doesn’t feel genuine, or discipline students with punishment that someone else has determined. People have said to me that a lot of teaching is about ‘acting’ and asserting authority, which is hard for me to digest. By nature, I prefer to be more of a supportive colleague than an authoritative figure. Practicum is a difficult balance, because one has to assume the role of teacher in someone else’s classroom, which may mean having to ‘act’ in a certain way that doesn’t necessarily align with one’s personality. If the students in the class are used to a certain type of discipline or certain classroom management style, then the student teacher has to work within that style, while still trying to remain true to him or herself. In our first term at UBC I read an article which really sums up how I’m feeling at this point.

I can tell it’s going to be an interesting couple of months. I’m going to have to find a balance between doing what needs to be done in the short term, and staying true to myself and not trying to emulate someone else’s teaching style. After the lesson on Friday I did take the feedback and have a ‘chat’ with the class. In keeping with my own style, I chose to talk to the students personally about how they made me feel, rather than scold and lecture them about proper conduct. We’ll see how things go next week.

I did have one bright spot come out of that poetry lesson. I happened to collect one student’s notes where she had written some personal questions at the bottom of her paper. She showed me she really was thinking on that deeper level I was trying to get to. Something I’d like to continue doing with all of my students.