We are about half way through the semester. I have decided that I am not cut out for Urban teaching! People from home have always told me that I have more patience than I know what to do with. Well, that patience is starting to wear thin. Students in this setting are so in your face, that you have to be aware of where they are at all times. If they are not in your face then chances are they are in one of the other students’ face. That is never a good thing and it is hard to regain control of a class if students are ready to fight all the time. The learning levels are much lower in this particular setting. I think that presents a challenge to the teacher because they have to re-teach so much information. This causes a problem when you have to teach on grade level also. When students do not understand the information they are learning, they become disruptive. It’s a vicious circle of unwanted behavior going round and round.
If you think that you would want to be a teacher, be prepared for the testing that the students will do every day. They will test your memory, patience, and sanity all at once. Patience is still the biggest thing to have as an educator. Management is ranking high up there along with organization. The other big thing is preparation. Those three go together really well. If you are not organized, then you cannot be prepared. If you are not prepared, then you can not manage your class efficiently.
The intricate web of relationships you make in your school building is amazing! If you can talk openly to anyone in your building you have many, many, many resources at your fingertips. I have noticed that teachers in this building are very open and willing to help out anyone who needs it.
The Urban program itself is challenging to us as college students as well. We have to keep all our lessons, observations, and projects straight in our schedule. On top of that, we have the daily lessons and grading that we do in the classroom. Attending classes in the mornings on some days and in the afternoons on others, crates a hectic schedule when you are trying to find a time when you are in the classroom every single day. There are a lot of balancing acts going on but in the end, we are going to have more experience than we will know what to do with!