So many things have been happening in my current placement! I don't have the time to write about it every day, but here is a synopsis.
I was really excited to be in a new district, in a new school, with a new teacher, and a new grade level. Middle school kids are so much different than elementary school kids! There is more drama, more cell phones, and more height! Many of the 8th graders are taller than me which is a little intimidating at times. However, I feel like there is less of a connection between teacher and students...
In elementary school you get the same kids all day and there are only about 25 of them. In middle school, you get 5 different groups of kids in different grades for a grand total of around 135 kids every day! And with only 50 minutes in each period, there isn't time anything besides math. There is no time to really get to know your classes. I miss that... I have been in my placement for a total of 4 days over 2 weeks and I know only a few names. In elementary school I knew all the kids' names by the end of the first day. It makes it harder that 5 different kids sit at the same desk throughout the day. One of the ways I learn names is by visualizing who sits where and I found that technique doesn't work in middle school.
4 out of 5 of the math classes are the gifted program. These students are very smart! This plus the fact that the teacher has the desks arranged in groups and these groups work together very well means that these students do not need much extra help. This leaves me and my partner to simply watch all day. This isn't necessarily bad, it can just get boring doing it period after period. Even in the one class that is not gifted, students always work with their group members to figure out answers to their questions. I still walk around to see what students are working on but there really aren't any questions to be answered. Another major difference between elementary and middle school - the amount of self sufficient behavior.
I am conscious not to interrupt students as they are working to ask them to explain something to me to see if they understand because if they don't have a question and it looks like they are doing the math correctly, then that leads me to believe that they understand. They are old enough to know to ask a question if they don't understand and to know when they don't understand. In fact, that is part of what they have to turn in with their weekly homework packet: they rate their level of understanding of the weeks' work on a scale of 1-10. They also know that it is their responsibility to come for help during the extra period at the end of the day if they need it. From what I have seen, they actually do this! There is just not enough class time to teach the lesson, practice the new skill, and make sure everyone completely understands.
I think I like elementary school better.
