January 26, 2007
For the first few days, I was a tall, dark stranger in the back corner of the classroom, casting an ominous shadow that students were afraid to make eye contact with. In one class, the teacher even told a few students that I was a parole officer (which they believed until several weeks later). I distinctly recall the first few, brave students who asked who I was and what I was doing there. It wasn't long until they saw me as Mr. Nice-Guy who could never be mean to them, but I enjoy being formally called Mr. Sierra.
As I grew more comfortable in the shadow of my master teachers, I began to feel confident enough to roam around during activities and offer support to students in need. It felt good when they started to recognize me and would actually call my name to get help. The second week of my student teaching, the school was having finals. So one of my teachers suggested that I could design and conduct a game to help them review. I scrambled to arrange all their review questions in to categories and phrase them like Jeopardy.
When it came time, I could only get about 8 students to participate while everyone else preferred to study independently. Perhaps they were just nervous since they didn't really know me. It turns out the game was a little too complicated and unrehearsed to be really effective. So, the following period, I simply had the students divide into two teams and ask each other questions. It helped to have lollipops as an incentive for the winners.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
Here we go!
January 8, 2007
After years of contemplation, education, and a bit of hesitation, I have finally taken the leap into being a high school teacher. It's something I've always felt drawn to - a place where I may have a lot to offer and an experience that may be just rewarding enough to make me feel I served a good purpose with my life. I enrolled in a Masters/Credential program at University of Phoenix about 4 years ago, not realizing that it would eventually require me to dedicate 15 weeks as a student teacher without pay.
So I took all my classes, getting almost all straight-A's, and passed the CBEST, CSET and US Constitution tests. I got everything out of the way but procrastinated this final rite-of-passage (as some call it) as long as possible. That was primarily due to the fact that Kathy and I were tied into a mortgage, and we added a new member to our family just 16 months ago. Leaving my full-time job with this kind of financial burden did not seem realistic at all.
Fortunately, we have a loving family and many good Bay Area friends who wanted to do whatever they could to keep us in the area and help make our dreams possible. So, within the last 2 weeks of December, I found a school to student teach, turned in my resignation at work, found an apartment to rent across the street from the school, and moved out of the condo so it could be sold. Everything fell into place beautifully. We love our new (although temporary) home, the surrounding community, and the many conveniences within walking distance.
It's a beautiful walk between home and school that takes me no more than 10 minutes either way. I signed on with 2 "master teachers", one of whom has a PhD. They both seem pleased to have me in their classrooms, hoping I'll bring fresh, new insight and instructional strategies to keep their students engaged and productive. I guess we have a lot to learn from each other, although I may be holding my breath for the next 15 weeks, just hoping to survive.
So here goes... stay tuned to hear about Mr. Sierra's adventures in high school!
After years of contemplation, education, and a bit of hesitation, I have finally taken the leap into being a high school teacher. It's something I've always felt drawn to - a place where I may have a lot to offer and an experience that may be just rewarding enough to make me feel I served a good purpose with my life. I enrolled in a Masters/Credential program at University of Phoenix about 4 years ago, not realizing that it would eventually require me to dedicate 15 weeks as a student teacher without pay.
So I took all my classes, getting almost all straight-A's, and passed the CBEST, CSET and US Constitution tests. I got everything out of the way but procrastinated this final rite-of-passage (as some call it) as long as possible. That was primarily due to the fact that Kathy and I were tied into a mortgage, and we added a new member to our family just 16 months ago. Leaving my full-time job with this kind of financial burden did not seem realistic at all.
Fortunately, we have a loving family and many good Bay Area friends who wanted to do whatever they could to keep us in the area and help make our dreams possible. So, within the last 2 weeks of December, I found a school to student teach, turned in my resignation at work, found an apartment to rent across the street from the school, and moved out of the condo so it could be sold. Everything fell into place beautifully. We love our new (although temporary) home, the surrounding community, and the many conveniences within walking distance.
It's a beautiful walk between home and school that takes me no more than 10 minutes either way. I signed on with 2 "master teachers", one of whom has a PhD. They both seem pleased to have me in their classrooms, hoping I'll bring fresh, new insight and instructional strategies to keep their students engaged and productive. I guess we have a lot to learn from each other, although I may be holding my breath for the next 15 weeks, just hoping to survive.
So here goes... stay tuned to hear about Mr. Sierra's adventures in high school!
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