Tuesday, the day after tomorrow...

so i wasn't sure if you wanted me to comment on your post, or make a new one...so i'm opting for the latter.

these are loaded questions! i've been thinking about them over the past couple days, and here's some of the ramblings extracted from my head...

What do you think your role is going into this semester?
i think up until this time, i have been The Intern. on Tuesday, i will still be The Intern, but instead of the role i have played as a "co-teacher/assistant to Ms. B" i will be The Teacher! very exciting, and concurrently very overwhelming. i am a bit anxious as to how my students will perceive me...though this is a new semester and i will have brand new students, a few of them were in my seminar class last semester and ALL students at BAA know who the interns are. despite whatever labels might already be fixed, i'm jumping into Tuesday morning as a teacher, as their teacher, and i'm psyched.

What does it mean to be a teacher and why are you interested in it?
to me being a teacher means investing in kids' lives, daily introducing their minds to new knowledge, challenging preconceived notions of themselves, and enhancing their innate thirst for learning. teachers - many times more than parents and friends - are in a position of incredible power to influence, to encourage, to motivate, and to love kids. these reasons are at the forefront of why i chose to pursue a teaching career. additionally, my heart is for the poor and overlooked of society, and granting more equitable access to education is paramount for closing economical gaps in our country and worldwide. i desire to empower my students...it's my job to give them the academic tools for success, but knowledge, skills, and resources without confidence and reassurance from their teacher limits kids' true potential. being a teacher means helping kids' reach their dreams, and for me, i can't think of a better job.

What are your immediate goals for the beginning of the semester?
it's difficult to articulate my goals, but generally most of my goals center around my students who have IEP's and my male students of color. i want to grant one-on-one instruction and attention to these students as much as i am able. i tend to create goals that are very bullet-pointed and mathematical...like, i would like to have lesson plans developed and ready for the week by Sunday night, or i want to see five of my students pursue honors for my class. these are good goals and all, but i've been thinking more out-of-the-box, and for that reason i haven't completely wrapped my mind around all the goals i have for myself as a teacher and for my students in this, my first, class. so stay tuned...

What are you most afraid of? Most anxious of? Most nervous about?
i'm afraid i'm not going to know the curriculum. i'm nervous that i might not know answers to students' questions, especially answers i should know! classroom management freaks me out sometimes too...but as i learned last semester, i set the pace and tempo of the class. if i don't have my stuff together, managing the class is destined to become difficult very fast. i'm a little afraid of the workload, knowing that as the semester progresses work is going to pile up, and sometime in there i have two grad classes. i'm nervous that some days i might not find my "teacher voice," and then what? overall though, i'm way more excited than stressed, and my experiences from last semester have given me a lot of confidence for this semester!