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About Me Email
Nervous and excited, I introduce myself in an email. A perfect introduction to this timeline. -
Quote From a Student - Middle School
Something that (almost) always brightened my day was the things the students said. Middle Schoolers are "out of pocket," (to use their words) in what they freely say, especially in the cafeteria. -
Methods Reflection - Why do you teach?
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Code-Switching Slack Post
Something I really admire about my Mentor Teacher that I recognized early on. He has a really close connection with students, able to code-switch between them to better communicate and meet them where they are. -
An Informal Email
I think this captures the level of (over)confidence I had in the first weeks at my placement. He did genuinely seem to appreciate the email when we talked about it at school the next day. -
Field Notes Reflection 1
I love the tone of my writing here compared to other, later reflections. I recognize how self-critical I can be very early on. Something I should've remembered in the coming months in my 'worst' moments. Looking back on the artifacts like these is what makes this timeline worth it. Full Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LQYWLF22ac8D5URzIg7t4REuRX3IFEOyYDfupv4i6oQ/edit?usp=sharing -
Field Notes Reflection 2
It's still true, the students at Hunters Point are great. On a less hopeful note, the student that I was soft-assigned to ended up totally disengaging from me and pulls away from his work. I think I pushed him too hard. I try to give him some space now and try my best to repair things. Full Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1obyIVai8BJxy2bgBOH2M3z_bUDPpYN_MyoaCTDCCMzM/edit?usp=sharing -
Strange Dream
The feeling of "not knowing where I needed to be" was and still is something that would characterize a lot of the time I wasn't 'on-stage' actively teaching while I was at the school. -
Methods - Literacy Statement Excerpt
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First Time Teaching - Slack Post
I made this post thirty minutes after I taught that class, I think it's the most genuine summary of how I was feeling. In the coming week, it would linger in my mind. With the hindsight of two months, it wasn't that bad of a first attempt. Still, it was a crushing reality that had been put off for years. I still don't hold it against the students. One of them came up to me after and apologized for their "bad behavior," I'll reiterate what I said. "Never apologize for being a Middle Schooler!" -
First Time Teaching - A Concerned Friend
If I didn't have the friends I have to support me, I don't think I would've made it through with as much mental stamina. I think "sit down and shut up" is a crude thing to say here, but it's more banter than reality. I ended up staying the night at his house that night. -
"10/18" Methods Reflection
I'm kind-of baffled by this, rereading it. I'm not entirely sure what I'm trying to say here, nor do I entirely agree with what's being said. This isn't something I submitted either, I don't think, this is just for personal reflection. -
Slack Post Reply
I had the Slack open in a tab since I posted the original message. I did genuinely look at the replies I received many times. I often re-read Scott's reply to reassure myself. I had to restate the obvious, it's a skill. I could improve like any other. "Nathan, stay with it. This is a learned skill! Lots of people are not great at it at first and become amazing. There are lots of things to do to help." -
Sick Days
I got horribly sick for a week. I've got this conception, even post-COVID, that I need to 'fight through' any sickness I have to remain productive. It's a bit self destructive. I hate taking sick-days. -
"11/1" Methods Reflection
"NEET:" Internet slang for self-identifying "Not Employed, Educated, or (in)Training." I have a few very close friends in a spot like this. It's a moral-draining situation to be in, according to them. -
Theory of Instruction Excerpt - 'Customer Service'
The quote comes from much earlier in the semester, but I don't exactly remember when. It's echoed in my mind ever since. I'm not sure if it's a demon I need to exorcise or a mantra I need to full adopt. Full Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zjKuw-yjga--cGxeDalU82-7n-HlGmUTOimWP5wDQQk/edit?usp=sharing -
Theory of Instruction Excerpt - Delpit
'The Silenced Dialog’ was huge for me. I'm not 100% on it but it really made a lot of sense to me and the student teaching experience I've had. Full Document Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zjKuw-yjga--cGxeDalU82-7n-HlGmUTOimWP5wDQQk/edit?usp=sharing -
Slack Post - 'Explanation of What's Expected'
This is huge. Still trying to work on this as one of my top priorities right now. Clear instruction and expectations. Something that's so obviously critical that I overlooked when I first started. -
Theory of Instruction - Scott's Feedback Excerpt
Finally something I didn't write. Scott Storm replied to my Theory of Instruction assignment thoughtfully and in a manner that would stay in my mind. A counter to the 'Dunkin Donuts' idea provided by my Mentor Teacher. I was so ready to accept the 'customer service' idea in part because of my own upbringing. It reminded me that all the academic work has function, and reasserted a level of self worth and progression in my life. -
Respond vs. React
A conversation around responding vs. reacting. Something I'm still working on. The anecdote about a student telling me to "f**k off" is something that happened in the cafeteria, my response was literally "why'd you say that?" He evidently felt guilty about it the next period when I was helping him with some reading classwork like it didn't happen. I'm usually regarded as 'calm' by students for the most part, even when internally I'm freaking out. However, the mask still needs to be more secure. -
Field Notes Reflection 3
It's in this time I realized I was in my own headspace a lot when it comes to reflection. It's interesting to analyze the tone and what I have to say here with what I've said earlier in the semester. Once I was in front of the classroom without supports, I realized how much I needed to reassess things. I recognized some of my past reflections in October weren't great. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q4ZexZshO8rzgha35f3TPtXkUunry_C6OmYIchhHdVM/edit?usp=sharing -
"11/8" Methods Reflection
I was certainly ready for Thanksgiving break. Seeing my family again was a very refreshing experience. That last bit about 'friend groups' was total nonsense, I think now looking back. -
Essay Assignment Submission 2
This was validating. I had created a few other assignments that either didn't end up being used, disregarded, or didn't go so well. To have one readily accepted (even if it would be drastically changed in the coming weeks) was great. -
Quote from a Student - Mentor Teacher
Observant students pick up on a lot of social cues from the adults in the classroom. While I'm neither scared nor hate my Mentor Teacher, as this student suggested, it's far more observant of our dynamic than I may have originally thought they could notice. -
The First "Good Lesson"
Teaching this Chinese Exclusion Act Lesson was a huge win for me, even if it wasn't flawless. It gave me evidence that I could teach a lesson where students could discuss, analyze, and learn something, applying what I've learned in my own classes. -
Conversation About Teachers
A great resource a lot of my friends provide is that most of them were never the 'star student.' This is an excerpt from a larger conversation with Sarah about some of the teachers at my placement. A lot of them go above-and-beyond for the same type of under-achieving kids that some of my friends were. Some of them just like to complain about students. I'm frustrated here. -
Tangible Improvement
Trying to live by what I said earlier in the month in recognizing my victories. Having points that I know I can improve on, specific action points, is truly what I need. It's something that I severely lacked earlier and what makes the difference between a sense of progress and a spiral of despair. -
Lesson Video Reflection #2
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An Unflattering Realization
It just puts him in a bad mood, and I'm being dramatic in this message. A lot of my Cooperating Teacher's frustrations had nothing to do with me. -
Lesson Plan Reflection
I taught a lesson that was probably a bit redundant, was put in a situation that would have been stressful months ago, and pulled through. The structure of the class was kept secure throughout the whole lesson, and my reflections were constructive and positive despite recognizing some shortcomings. I'm happy with my own security in myself here in this reflection.