This place had FOUR SINKS...
As a an education major one of the mandatory requirements you must complete in order to earn your degree and certification is spend an obscene amount of time hanging out in an actual classroom. This time is referred to as "Observation." Last semester I missed out on this gem mostly because the placement coordinator couldn't find a place to put me and I suggested that Holy Name - where I am already teaching - would work just fine. She didn't even bat an eye when she said, "That will work." I had no idea that was all you had to do....how easy was that? Shoot, I could've been lying for all she knew! Crazy.
This semester, however, I made the decision to spend some time observing at a different school. (I make note that I made the decision, because my lame placement coordinator was perfectly fine with me using Holy Name again. Seriously, is this the education I am spending 40K on?) Now, I had heard through the ole educational grapevine about a little charter school that had a great reputation and amazing facilities. I would hear about this school and think that is so where I want to do my student teaching.
You see, I have heard some horror stories. I have heard of young, 21 year old girls being harrassed in some of the schools we are placed in. I have heard of fellow students showing up for their observation time and having the mentor teacher look at them and say, "Sorry, I just can't do this. You're gonna have to find another teacher" and then have UMKC tell them the exact same thing...not lifting a finger to help them with another placement. To say the very least I felt extremely blessed to not have to deal with that last semester.
So this semester roles around and the placement sheets are posted and my school is University Academy. I started asking around, is this that school I've been hearing so much about? Uh, yeah...it is! I contacted my contact person and got the wheels moving and made my first visit yesterday.
Let me just say this....I can not imagine setting foot in a classroom with absolutely no experience whatsoever. I know, I know....this is the whole point. But, for me I could not imagine it. My confidence level was so high yesterday because everything we were doing was familiar. Being with rowdy kindergarteners was familiar, chatty second graders were familiar, I was comfortable even amongst unknown teachers. I had a bit of an epiphany. I am a teacher. I reprimanded when it needed to happen and I jumped in to help with projects. I found supplies without being told where they were. I even asked that the kids call me Mrs. Knight...with absolute confidence.
I knew I must have made an impression on my mentor teacher because he started asking me if he should change how he approached his lesson. Mr. D and I are close in age and I think he found me to be more of an assistant of sorts. He is thrilled to have me help him with the kindergarteners every week and I really don't blame him. In total, every week, he sees 5 classes of kindergarteners! Holy cow. I don't feel too sorry for him though because his art room was utterly divine.
I walked in and immediately noticed the FOUR SINKS! My two buckets with soapy water pales in comparison. His art room had natural light from the four windows, drying racks alongside one whole wall, storage space galore, an actual giant closet where nearly anything could be stored, like his 10 BEAUTIFUL wooden painting easels. *sigh...let me catch my breath* There was even a mounted on the ceiling projector for digital slide and dvd presentations. The tables were strategically lower to the ground, the little stools perfect for little bodies and three of the four sinks were also placed lower for easy access (for small children and apparently, Catie). I later found out this was the elementary art room and that I might have the opportunity to see the middle grades art room and the high school grades art room later.
This school was built only a few years ago. In fact, my second job at Rockhill Orthopaedics is across the street from it. I sat for a good year watching them build this building wondering what it could be. When I realized it was a school I figured it was some fancy private school because everything was so nice. I still can't believe it was that school all along.
The history of this school is interesting as well. The Helzberg's and Bloch's (of Helzberg Diamonds and H&R Block) were the main founders and contributors. They wanted to help KC by improving inner city schools...so they started their own. Tom Bloch even teaches at the school. I guess the tax business was a bit boring.
I am looking forward to going back next week and the week after that and if I am lucky, maybe, just maybe I will get to do my student teaching there in a year. Fingers, toes and legs are crossed!
This semester, however, I made the decision to spend some time observing at a different school. (I make note that I made the decision, because my lame placement coordinator was perfectly fine with me using Holy Name again. Seriously, is this the education I am spending 40K on?) Now, I had heard through the ole educational grapevine about a little charter school that had a great reputation and amazing facilities. I would hear about this school and think that is so where I want to do my student teaching.
You see, I have heard some horror stories. I have heard of young, 21 year old girls being harrassed in some of the schools we are placed in. I have heard of fellow students showing up for their observation time and having the mentor teacher look at them and say, "Sorry, I just can't do this. You're gonna have to find another teacher" and then have UMKC tell them the exact same thing...not lifting a finger to help them with another placement. To say the very least I felt extremely blessed to not have to deal with that last semester.
So this semester roles around and the placement sheets are posted and my school is University Academy. I started asking around, is this that school I've been hearing so much about? Uh, yeah...it is! I contacted my contact person and got the wheels moving and made my first visit yesterday.
Let me just say this....I can not imagine setting foot in a classroom with absolutely no experience whatsoever. I know, I know....this is the whole point. But, for me I could not imagine it. My confidence level was so high yesterday because everything we were doing was familiar. Being with rowdy kindergarteners was familiar, chatty second graders were familiar, I was comfortable even amongst unknown teachers. I had a bit of an epiphany. I am a teacher. I reprimanded when it needed to happen and I jumped in to help with projects. I found supplies without being told where they were. I even asked that the kids call me Mrs. Knight...with absolute confidence.
I knew I must have made an impression on my mentor teacher because he started asking me if he should change how he approached his lesson. Mr. D and I are close in age and I think he found me to be more of an assistant of sorts. He is thrilled to have me help him with the kindergarteners every week and I really don't blame him. In total, every week, he sees 5 classes of kindergarteners! Holy cow. I don't feel too sorry for him though because his art room was utterly divine.
I walked in and immediately noticed the FOUR SINKS! My two buckets with soapy water pales in comparison. His art room had natural light from the four windows, drying racks alongside one whole wall, storage space galore, an actual giant closet where nearly anything could be stored, like his 10 BEAUTIFUL wooden painting easels. *sigh...let me catch my breath* There was even a mounted on the ceiling projector for digital slide and dvd presentations. The tables were strategically lower to the ground, the little stools perfect for little bodies and three of the four sinks were also placed lower for easy access (for small children and apparently, Catie). I later found out this was the elementary art room and that I might have the opportunity to see the middle grades art room and the high school grades art room later.
This school was built only a few years ago. In fact, my second job at Rockhill Orthopaedics is across the street from it. I sat for a good year watching them build this building wondering what it could be. When I realized it was a school I figured it was some fancy private school because everything was so nice. I still can't believe it was that school all along.
The history of this school is interesting as well. The Helzberg's and Bloch's (of Helzberg Diamonds and H&R Block) were the main founders and contributors. They wanted to help KC by improving inner city schools...so they started their own. Tom Bloch even teaches at the school. I guess the tax business was a bit boring.
I am looking forward to going back next week and the week after that and if I am lucky, maybe, just maybe I will get to do my student teaching there in a year. Fingers, toes and legs are crossed!
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