Week 9 Bode

          On Friday my MT was out taking a personal day. She didn’t create any sub plans since she knew I would be able to handle the class that day and teach all the material even though we would have a sub in our room. I feel it is awesome practice to be in charge of the classroom and have to teach the entire day as if I am the teacher (not just math and literacy for our unit plans). Although I am the student teacher in the classroom and a substitute may be “in charge” more than me, I am the one who knows the classroom and our daily routines/lessons. I feel it’s an uncomfortable position to be in as the student teacher when a substitute is in our classroom for the day. Having had some experience in the classroom and definitely feeling prepared to teach the material, I cannot be the classroom substitute and that’s frustrating. I feel as interns we have gotten much experience just in these several weeks as well as over the course of our undergraduate, we should be able to sub for our mentor teachers when they are absent. Having a sub in the classroom makes it uncomfortable for me because they do not know the classroom norms, management strategies, lessons, etc…I do so I want to step in and help. When I am given the lesson plans for the day to teach rather than having the sub teach them I felt I put the sub in an awkward position, kind of like just an observer in the classroom.

            What is important here is that as student teachers we are faced with uncomfortable positions: being the young “teacher” in the classroom and gaining that authority, taking charge when a sub should, etc. I’ve learned that I need to know when to “step up” to the challenge or “step down” for those who have more authority in the classroom than I do. This is a case of perfecting your professionalism and checking yourself as a future teacher. Maintaining the professional attitude of being that helpful hand in the classroom but not over stepping and stepping up to the plate are the most challenging things to decipher in this year so far. Maybe being able to substitute for our mentor teachers would give us, the student teachers, a new level of respect from the students and also challenge us as to whether we are ready for the full time teaching challenge.