I will use this blog to vent some of the feelings many of us Teacher Assistants are currently having. I am loving my classroom. I truly enjoy being at the school and feel like I have settled in well. I have completed the teaching we are required to do, but am excited to continue. The students are so much fun and I have developed closer relationships with many of them. When I was in high school I enjoyed it when I saw my teachers at my extra-curricular events (sports, plays). My problem with this semester is that the College of Ed. puts us in these schools and ask up to impress and do a good job, yet we have so many things to do that it becomes very difficult to get everything done in a quality manner (without staying up until 3 in the morning after I return from the students Regional Final soccer game).
I am trying to write papers, complete lesson plans, do observations, get to games, make a classroom management plan, and get enough rest to be on top of my game in the classroom. I am not even trying to work, which I know some of my fellow students are. I do not like to fail, or not do the best quaility work possible, so I will get things done and they will be to the best of my ability. The problem is, it has been at the cost of my health and stress level. I am not sure that is a great thing to have happen to make a point about how busy we will be as teachers. We are still college students and have to pay to live. I don’t even care that I have no social life, but it is everything else.
Don’t get me wrong I feel some of the things we do for College of Ed are very relevant to the Teacher Assisting and our next semester. I think we can all admit there are things which seem to be rather unnecessary. I am glad we now have student representative to help with the planning and hopefully improve on what is happening. I am really enjoying my experience in the classroom, but feel like I am being asked to be half at my placement and half at GVSU, which does not give off a great image at my school.
Besides my frustrations with that issue, the week has progressed well. The students seem to be ready for a break, but they get a four day weekend next week, starting on Wednesday. It is parent teacher conference week. I think I am just as excited as the students.
