Friday August 24^th 2012

Day Thirty Five at Mountain Creek State High School

Last night I met up with another pre-service teacher named Jordie. He plays AFL and was able to help me create a lesson for today. We went over the rules and even got up and passed the footy around. He taught me how to perform a kick for a demonstration, but also great tips when teaching the students. I also learned how to perform ball handling. It was really fun connecting with another pre-service teacher here. Not to mention it was a fun way to interact with him on a more social level. I learned a lot and I was actually impressed with how quickly I caught on. Today AFL was first session! Jordie’s class and my class combine and this is where I have about 40 male students. This is always a tough one for me! I was in charge of leading the lesson and Jordie was basically my assistant. I killed the demonstration and I was so excited! He also seemed excited, knowing it was him who taught me! The boys were not listening well and I still struggle in ordering them around. I need to be more firm from the beginning. I just feel like I want them to like me, so it’s hard to find that balance. Session 2 was my aerobics class and today made me happy. Most of the groups are close to finishing their 2 minute routines. They are coming along so nicely. Next week I am doing aerobics assessments for 3 different classes. This is not even for a grade for the students, but I am using it as my own practice to assess and give feedback. I am proud with the groups and excited to see how they turn out next week. Session 3 my year 8 class started their assessments. They have been creating their own team sport games during theory lessons, and today 2 groups had to teach the class their own games. It was so fun watching. The games went fairly well! It was management and organization that stumped them both. I guess it is a common thing to mess up on, seeing how I still sometimes can’t figure it out!! The weekend is here and I am so ready to chill out.

Thursday August 23^rd 2012

Day Thirty Four

Today I went to my friend Sharon’s primary school. This is a very unique school due to it being a multiage base school. Basically the school believes that there is not such thing as ‘normal’ when it comes to education. Who is to say a year 8 student should be performing this way in year 8? So in their classes they combine different age groups and treat them all individually. This means much more work for the teachers; however it seems to be very worth it in the end. The class I visited was year 5, 6, and 7. To be honest in the beginning I really could not differentiate the ages of the students. They all seemed to look the same age. It was a real fun and relaxing day for me. I liked observing my friend teach her algebra lesson and to also see how primary students behave. The only really bad aspect of this school is that there are no trained physical education teachers. The school believes the students should be active every day, which I agree with, and therefore the teachers also perform as the PE teacher. They are responsible for taking the students out and running the physical education classes. Although this is a great way for the students to be active frequently, these teachers are not trained to teach this, which worries me a bit. Sharon told me it is very common that the students just get out there and play. Yes they are being active, yes play is healthy for kids, but in reality they should still be given the chance to learn physical education. All in all my day was fun. I got in and taught the students a new game they could play. It was fun teaching younger students because they seemed to listen to well. It was so hot out and Sharon and I were sweaty the whole day! It is a beautiful school and I really enjoyed checking out a classroom filled with all different ages.

Wednesday August 22^nd 2012

Day Thirty Three at Mountain Creek State High School

I have to say I am quite proud of myself today! This was the first oval lesson I feel went very smooth. I was organized, firm, and the students participated well! My year 12 REC class was combined with another year 12 class leaving me with about 17 students to participate. It is so sad that even with two classes combined, when you eliminate those who are out for work experience, those who are excused absent, and those who just do not come, we are only left with 17. It worked out pretty well with numbers though considering lacrosse is usually 10 players for each team. This morning I had already planned out whom to ask to set up the goals and the two girls are great students and set them up just how I asked. I found it is easier to choose those well behaved students to ask for help because they will do it right, rather than asking those who misbehave and have them help for punishment. Yes helping me may give them a sense of responsibility, but in reality it just wastes more time because I have to redirect and instruct them after they try the first time. Once the goals were set up, the class and I were already reviewing from last class. I went over the basic rules and safety concerns, throwing and catching, and a few rules of the game. I gave quick instructions and got them into drills right away. It is always hard for me to decide how to organize drills. I do not want to waste a bunch of time placing markers out on the field to keep them in lines, but at the same time, without the markers they sometimes do not stay in correct positions. Today I chose to use a clear indent line on the oval for one partner to stand on, and told the other partner to go across from them. This worked in a weird way. They got the point and understood, but still spread out in their own ways. I let this slide because to me it was more important for them to be practicing throwing and catching that where exactly they were standing. I am learning to react to the more important things during the lesson. Depending on the class, the age group, and what game we are playing, I need to remember all these are factors in the student’s behavior. We got into game play faster today and we even played field positions. We were able to man up, and switch positions on the field every 10 minutes. I think the students are terrible at lacrosse, but they were all participating, smiling, competitive, and sweaty by the end. I thought this was a good sign! My year 9 sexuality class went good as well. These students are just to die for. Sometimes I need to raise my voice and remind them to listen, however they behave very well considering. I am under covering all these classroom techniques I never knew I was capable of. Yesterday I was grading papers, and today I was designing new assignments for the class. We went over the reproductive cycle last week and today they had to bring in homework of a story of how babies are made. Some students were asked to read their stories out loud which a fun way to encourage participation was. I created a new assignment for this class to create a television commercial promoting the contraception method they are assigned. Next week they get to work on it within their group’s then act it out for the class. I love the fact that I am finding ways to have the students more interactive! Tomorrow I am visiting a different school where my friend Sharon is teaching. It is a multi-aged school and I am so excited to engage in a different school!

Tuesday August 21^st 2012

Day Thirty Two at Mountain Creek State High School

This morning I got to experience my first grading! My year 12 PED class had their theory sociology draft assignments due. Once I collected the drafts it was up to me to take them back during morning tea, read, and mark. Some of these papers were absolutely terrible. I really could not believe how difficult it is for year 12 students to make an opening paragraph that makes sense. The assignment only asks them to write 800 words, and they struggle to even begin. Out of the 10 papers I read, only 2 of them seemed to be at a comprehensive level for a year 12 student. It is so crazy how different school is here. At my high school we had a lot more accountability to earn high grades. We honestly had to do so many more assignments and do them well to even move from grade to grade. These students are lucky, and they cannot even complete such a simple task. It was very hard for me to not mark all over the paper correcting literally every sentence for some of these papers, but I tried my best to just give feedback at the end guiding them for their corrections. It is a good thing these were just drafts!! I really like how I can compare theory from here to home now. Although I believe it is great how in depth this school gets with each topic by spending a whole term on specific things, I really think the way my high school approaches education is stronger. I feel I was so much smarter and well-rounded in 12^th grade than these students. I knew how to research, how to write a paragraph, how to cite in a paper, how to analyze situations and much more. But what I did not know that these students do receive is the intensity of the topic they are learning. The problem with this is that the students care a bit less, so even though we are covering one topic for 11 weeks, it should be worth-while, but ends up being a waste for most students. It is disappointing how different education is, and how motivated students are. I would like to say I am proud of where I came from and where I have been educated! Although it was hard to read through, I am glad I got to experience marking papers and seeing the students in a different light than aerobics. I am ready to go for classes tomorrow and cannot wait to tackle another oval lesson!

Monday August 20^th 2012

Day Thirty One at Mountain Creek State High School

I have had a head cold for a couple of days and this particular Monday was a tough one for me. It was not the fact that my classes were difficult, but just being up and ready to go all the time is not an easy task when I feel a bit sick. When I am a student, I can go through the motions of school and get by just fine when I do not feel well. When I am the teacher, I have to be energetic and ready for anything no matter how I feel. I am the one all the students are looking at, and I constantly had to remind myself of that today. It was my teachers’ birthday over the weekend and it was great to see her in a different light. I joined her and her friends for lunch on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. I really love hanging together outside of school it truly helps me feel a part of her life. A girl in our staff house has announced she is pregnant and my teacher, along with a few other girls, all have encouraged me to talk to the principal to let her know I am interested in a contract here next year. How exciting is that!! I love the fact that my teacher and other teachers look at me and think I am capable of working her for real (I am really loving this). School is becoming more natural for me and I have gotten the hang of everything by now. I am ready to get home and rest to hopefully feel better before the rest of my long week!

Friday August 17^th 2012

Day Thirty at Mountain Creek State High School

I have been a bit worried for session 1 today due to the fact I have some of the students who were around during the kangaroo poo situation. I just got nervous that people would be talking about it or that it would still affect me. I learned quickly that it just did not matter. I grabbed my equipment for handball, got students to help carry it, and went down to the oval. Today I asked my teacher if we would combine with another class to give me more students to work with. Last Friday I only had about 10 students participating and it just dragged out. So basically this morning it was me teaching 40 male students. The class we combined with is a group of year 11 boys entering the fitness program. To say the least, they are very rowdy. But in a good way! They were all eager to participate and have fun. We were playing handball and got into game play quickly. It was fun to see my year 12 REC students participate more due to the fact that these year 11 students were showing them up. There was also something different about this session! The teacher we combined classes with had a pre service teacher as well. This pre service teacher is somewhere around 25 years old, and we got along great! He is pretty cute as well!! This was my first interaction with an Australian pre service teacher and it was cool to talk to someone who goes through this process here a bit differently than me. The class went great and I was happy to see all the boys listen and participate well. There was no poo in my bag at the end which was also a plus. Aerobics again went well and the students have now gotten a hang of our daily routine. Year 8 HPE was not exactly ideal today. I took the students out to teach them lacrosse. This was my last lesson to teach them before they start to take over the classes and begin their assessment of teaching us the games they created. Basically the students went wild. I learned a lot today. My teacher has been writing and giving my feedback lately during each class. Because I have now taken over each class 100%, my teacher has more time to sit and observe more thoroughly. Basically the students have never played lacrosse before which gave them energy and excitement. I tried to be firm in the beginning, but clearly was not firm enough. Once we got up and into the warm up game, rules were immediately not being followed. I have to have them drop their sticks and run to the end of the field and back. Once they got back they were to sit in front of me while we discussed the rules that were broken. I had them give the warm up game another go, and they were still having problems. Literally after every section of the lesson we had to stop, bring it in, and sit for the next directions. I was getting very frustrated and annoyed. I tried to set up the next drill for them to pass and catch with a partner. The one main rule I had for them to keep two hands on the stick at all times due to safety. This rule kept being broken and in result the only punishment I could think of in the moment was to run. Basically they were not listening or obeying at all and I was pretty fed up by the end. We never even got into game play due to lack of listening. I sat the students down at the end of the lesson and had to yell at them all. I was unimpressed with their actions and very disappointed with how the lesson ran today. Basically at this point all the students were looking up at me with their sad faces, silent as could be. I suppose I should have started off a bit stricter from the beginning to resolve some of the misbehavior problems I encountered. I hate yelling at the students, but sometimes it just needs to be done.

Thursday August 16^th 2012

Day Twenty Nine at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was a fairly relaxing day at school. My year 12 aerobics class runs smooth each time. I am surprised with how great some groups are doing in designing their routines. But I am also a bit disappointed in some groups that could be doing much better than they are. There is one group that I am very fond of, but they just do not put as much effort into their routine as I expected them to. I really have high hopes for my class and cannot wait for week 8. On the last day of week 8 I have created my own assessment for the groups. We are holding a dress rehearsal for them to perform and be video tapped. I am going to take the video tapes home and grade each individual! I know I see them each class, but I am hoping some of these groups pull together something better for the assessment trial. My year 9 HPE class is my favorite. I hate to even say I have a favorite, but I really just adore these students. Some of them goof off, but never enough that they are truly off task. For the most part they participate in both theory and practice. I love getting to know them and being able to enjoy them during class. I saw them during gym today session 4. This is the class that is run by year 12 fitness students. Basically my teacher hands me the class, and I organize with the year 12 students to have them run the class. They are always so shy with the students and I usually step in with organization and management. This is a great experience for me because I am not necessarily teaching the students in a normal way, but I am teaching older students how to teach my students. I get to show them to be firm and not to be scared to yell. I also get to show my year 9 students that when I talk they better not be talking and to show the same respect to the year 12 leaders. I love this class because although I am young, I now have year 12s asking me for help, and my year 9 class really respects me. It is a great way for me to let loose and while the year 12 students are organizing, I walk around, interact, and give feedback.

Pictures of Paradise

Beautiful moon from balcony view!

 My Volleyball girls warming up!

Year 9 Seniors 2
Volleyball Team 2012 !!

What a great view while I drink
my morning tea before a run!

 Could this be any better

Thank you cocktail party !

Wednesday August 15^th 2012

Day Twenty Eight at Mountain Creek State High School

Well it is about time I have a bad day. Nearly one month of teaching and I finally got to experience some bad emotions. I don’t know if I was just tired, my lessons weren’t planned well enough, or the students were just not feeling it, but man I struggled. Session one I team teach with Melissa for a large social dance class. I had the students get ready to review from last class in order to perform a dance for the warm up. Basically I just forgot the moves while I was up there trying to review with the class. I had called out and directed them wrong 2 different times where they had to correct me. I missed a step here and a step there, just making me look dumb up in front of the class. It was defiantly embarrassing and I just really was not happy with myself. Session 2 then came along and I was collecting all my equipment to bring down to the oval. This is my year 12 REC class where we combine with another year 12 REC. I had a lot of equipment for lacrosse and I had asked some boys to help carry it all down. By the time I got down to our spot on the oval I noticed the bucket of sticks was twenty feet away, flopped over with all the sticks on the ground. The equipment bag was also not at our spot. I was confused why these year 12 students could not simply follow the instructions in a mature way. I had to make the boys go back and pick them all up and bring it down. Most of these students have never played lacrosse so I went through some basic skills and rules. Basically they acted as young kids once they had their equipment. I assumed they would be mature enough to handle the sticks and balls spread out on the oval during drills, but they just proved me wrong. They were not staying in the lines, balls were flying everywhere, and the basics of the drills were not getting across. I felt like my class was running wild and I had NO idea how to manage them. I kept blowing my whistle and bringing them in for instructions, it just felt very difficult to manage. By the end of the lesson most of the students had no idea on the basic skills for game play. I had higher hopes for the students’ skill wise but we just did not make it there today. The worst part of the lesson was after. I went to collect my bag and put my binder back in only to find a handful of kangaroo poop in the bottom all over my things. Yes kangaroo poop. This may sound funny to those reading, but let me tell you I freaked out. I am amazed with how I held it together in front of the students. I told my teacher right away, emptied the bag, and we called the students in. My teacher basically told the students how disrespectful they were all class and explained the incident that happened. She warned them that if they knew who had done this or saw anything to let us know. I basically stood there in silence, still in shock that had just happened to me. It was a good thing it was morning tea after because I went straight to the bathroom to let a couple tears out. Yes I cried. This is the first real terrible experience I have encountered and it was bad enough to shed tears. I truly just still cannot get over the fact that someone was gross enough to put poop in my bag. I really hope that the students will not continue to be disrespectful, but I am a bit nervous to teach them again next week. Deep down, it made me really upset that these students could have possibly disliked me enough to do such a thing. But I am trying my hardest to believe it was not personal and maybe just a dumb teenage joke. It was reassuring to hear my teacher explain to me how she truly felt none of the students could have done this to me purposely. She mentioned a lot of times students will play jokes on another especially to their unattended bags. It made me feel better knowing she believed I have made great connections with the students and that it is hard to believe one of them would do this to me. I really think that she may be right, and that whoever did this was unaware of who's bag it was. Well at least that is what I am going to believe :)

Tuesday August 14^th 2012

Day Twenty Seven at Mountain Creek State High School

Today Melissa and I had off!! There were no classes at all at the school due to parent conferences being held. The conferences started at 1pm and lasted until 7pm. The reason Melissa and I had off was because there was the ‘Thank you’ cocktail party held each term at the Sunshine Coast University. This is where all the host teachers, principals, and student teachers come to share a few drinks and nibbles. Basically all the very important people involved in this program say a few words, us students say a few words, and we all get a chance to mingle. The party started at 4, so it would have been pointless to come to the conferences just for an hour only just to leave. The best part about this was a relaxing beautiful day at the beach. However the worst part about this was the fact that our teachers and principal could not come share this experience with us. I would have loved for them to meet the rest of the students and chat among everyone. In the end it was a great day full of lots of sun and fun.

Monday August 13^th 2012

Day Twenty Six at Mountain Creek State High School

Being a teacher is just a different name for role model. I love the fact that my students seem interested in me and really love learning about me. Some of the boys asked me if I were going to the gym today like usual, and it hit me that my students notice what I do outside of school. I think this is a great way for them to see how important fitness is even outside of class. I still find it hard to ignore some of the comments the older boys make, but it is getting easier each day. Today during morning tea my visa sponsor Colin and two SUNY Cortland directors came to spend some time with myself, Melissa and our teachers. We showed them around a bit and then sat and had a talk about the school here. It is interesting to see people from New York in the spot I was just a couple of weeks ago, eager with so many questions. The schooling system really is different and it is hard as a visitor to hold back all the questions that pop into your head. It was cool being on the other end this time being able to explain to them how our school works. My grade 8 students had theory today and are working on their assessment. They are creating their own team sport game and then will teach the rest of the class in order to play it. They are just about done with the creating portion and next Friday we will start them off teaching. I love walking around hearing their ideas. Young minds are so creative. It was also funny to hear the groups’ dispute over decisions to be made. I love that this school does so much hands on activities with the students; it really puts the accountability on the kids. This can be bad depending on the motivation level. Some of my students in the older grade levels just do not care; therefore these hands on assessments really just put them to failure because they are not going to take responsibility to perform the task. Sometimes I think those students would do better in a lecture and notes type class but who really knows. Tonight we are having a dinner with all the NY student teachers, Colin, and our visitors from the school. It will be nice to see everyone because with school we are all so busy! I am looking forward to chatting with the groups and sharing my fun teaching stories. I am really becoming very fond of these students, it is amazing to me how attached I feel. It is already week 6 of student teaching and I just cannot believe I am almost done.

Friday August 10^th 2012

Day Twenty Five and Mountain Creek State High School

First session of the day I took my year 12 REC class out to the oval and I run into about 6 kangaroos. I absolutely love seeing these guys just hanging around. They are literally 20 feet away from us sunbathing on the grass. I planned to teach the students ultimate Frisbee not expecting it to be so windy! Some of these students already have a lack of motivation, and we have a small number, making any lesson hard to teach. I knew this going into it and I really tried to just let it roll off my shoulder. It is truly hard to let it go when I deeply care for the education of these students. I think because some of them do not plan to go to University and school is done soon they just do not care anymore. Three of the students have injuries, two of the students do not care or want to participate, leaving me with 6 students willing to try. I taught the basics of throwing and catching a Frisbee and went through some rules of the game. Once the students were done with their practicing drills we tried to get into a game. It was way too windy for a Frisbee so instead we played the game with a netball. The students got bored after a little bit and we ended up playing a game of touch. Honestly this has got to be the longest session I have ever taught. It is so hard to give energy when there is none coming back. Two boys are completely disrespectful and make comments to me that I just cannot stand. It was very hard for me to be okay with this, but there really is not much hope for them so I try not to let their attitudes highly affect me. Because we only had about 6 students really trying, the class dragged on! I was really happy once the bell rang. Session 2 was aerobics which always runs smooth. I just keep getting more excited to see the final routines. Some of the groups will be great! Session 3 I had my year 8 HPE class out on the oval for the second time. I decided we should give touch another go. This time I had a better idea how to structure and manage them. The drills went by quicker and they seemed to be getting along with the skills better. Once we got into game play it is noticeable this class is not very skilled, however they were all moving around and trying which was a great treat to watch. It is hard for me when refereeing because I am not an expert in Touch. There are literally so many variations of the game rugby it’s hard to remember which rule applies. I think this lesson went much better than the first lesson but I know I will still have things to improve on with these younger students. Because they are younger and less experience, they just do not catch on as quickly as my year 12 students. What they do have though is energy and it really makes me happy to see them trying and getting into the game. During morning tea today we had a staff meeting in a large room. I played a special role today, and it was an honor. My name was called and I was recognized for coaching the girls’ volleyball team last weekend. I was even given an award starting I was there certified coach for the tournament and it was signed by the PE director and everything! It was so nice to see my name on that award, I was a true coach. I had my 2 minutes of fame and sure enjoyed it. Thank goodness it is Friday, I am ready to relax. 

Thursday August 9^th 2012

Day Twenty Four at Mountain Creek State High School

Thursdays are always slow days for me. While I do not do too much with the students, I really enjoy being here at this school with this staff. I have fit into the sub school well and it hit me that I have to leave soon. It is truly sad to think after finally getting settled in, leaving approaches. I cannot imagine how I am going to feel when I have to say goodbye to my lovely beach and sunrise bike ride to school every day. I like that in my staff house I am teased by one of the teachers. He is a funny man and old enough to be my father. He is always cracking jokes about me, and I just love it. It makes me feel part of the family here, and I enjoy being liked. During session 4 today I get to see my Sexuality class in the gym. The trainer is who actually runs the class, but my teacher and I get to walk around and correct/help the students as they train. They all participate very well! I love teaching the students how to lift weight or use the machines correctly, this is my specialty! It is so nice when you are positive of something you teach. When I am in sport, I am always nervous and second guessing myself due to lack of experience. I enjoy the times I get to relax and just let the learning occur naturally. I have to create a lesson for my year 12 REC class tomorrow. We are not able to combine with the other class on Friday’s, leaving us with only about 10 students if I’m lucky. I am still trying to figure out how to get these students involved!

Wednesday August 8^th 2012

Day Twenty Three at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was awesome!! Session 2 was my first time with my year 12 REC class. My lesson plan was for them to get through some basic Oz Tag drills and lead up to game play. We combined with another class making it a total of about 25 students. I learned from my mistakes when I taught my first lesson on the oval with my year 8 students. I used those mistakes and corrected them this time around. I had a better sense of space, equipment, and how to get the drills ready for the students. This really made a huge difference with my confidence in the lesson. Once I started off strong giving them my signal for attention and expectations, they all seemed to be very respectful! We got through the warm up and practice drills quickly and efficiently. I was so happy and so was my teacher. She was so proud with how much I had improved! This is one of the reasons I just love criticism; I like to take what I was told and correct it. If I can’t correct it, then I know it is something I really need to focus on. Because the students knew to ‘stop, look, and listen’ at my whistle it helped me in moving from drill to drill faster. Once we got into game play, I was able to stop them throughout and pin-point on students to teach them all a new rule of Oz Tag. It worked so smooth and the students caught on quick. I felt prepared and well organized which made me at ease throughout my lesson. During session 4 I was a bit nervous to talk about STIs in front of 13 year old students, however I got through it. I wanted them to pay close attention so I created a worksheet that went along with each slide right in order. This was a good idea because it kept the students taking notes, but they were structured notes so that they can now study from them. Their reactions were what I expected, a lot of ‘ews’ and ‘oh my gods’. This is usually a chatty class and I was so proud of them for being great listeners during the forty five minute lecture. The last bit of class we had some fun learning all the steps on how to properly put on a condom and take one off. I was surprised how detailed I has to be with the students, but I know it is actually a really good idea to ensure safe sex. All the students were handed condoms and we pretty much just let them play with them. There were three fake penis’ and they were passed around. It was really great to notice that most of these students had trouble even just opening the package, meaning very inexperienced! Because we had already gone over this when the school Nurse came in, my teacher and I wanted to let them chat and have fun while doing this activity after being such great listeners. Some of the girls actually blew the condoms up bigger than the size of two watermelons! It was a good learning experience because I then stopped the class and showed them that no matter what a man says, a condom can stretch VERY far and they will almost always fit! I am starting to really enjoy being up in front of a classroom. Sometimes I like being with the older students and it is almost an easier job. But sometimes I find myself really enjoying these younger students and wondering if I could be happy in a classroom of a primary school. It’s crazy how student teaching makes you question everything you’ve thought for so long. I wonder where I will end up!