~*MsT’s Block Blog*~

You could definitely feel the heat today….and I don’t mean outside. March 7, 2007

1. So far, we have been comparing classroom managing styles, and wow, do we get to see different ones! It is so great to have the opportunity to be exposed to many different styles, not just to be able to soak them in, but to see how the students react to different types of discipline!

2. In our cooperating teacher’s class, you can tell that competitions are coming up soon (in the directors’ eyes)…but at the same time, you can also tell that spring break is coming up (in the student’s eyes). This week, we are getting exposed to the clash of what the teacher wants vs. what th students want. How do you react in this situation? When ”wants” don’t line up?  Well, like Glasser mentioned, as the teacher, you have to remind the students that they have choices. To set them up for success they need to stay on track and keep their mind in the game.

So today when we got to see that ”asking the students what they want” and “retracking” wasn’t working, I wondered what our cooperating teacher would do next. Though, as I’m sure every student in that class already knew what he would say, I knew too that he was going to stop the rehearsal to re-line their ambitions. Our cooperating teacher somewhat sternly reminded them with the idea of what consequential failure will be like if they keep it up. The room got so quiet. He was very stern and real with these kids, and they knew he was right. He preached, “if you don’t want it, why are you in here?” Then he coated that with “because I know you all can do better than this. All of you can. Each and every single one of you in here are talented. If I didn’t believe so, I wouldn’t have put you in here. Come on. Get it together.” Sometimes he can be fierce, but he really does remind them every day that he cares about them, and the day he stops keeping them in line they will know that that is the day he has stopped caring.

But the tension was really up today. I didn’t know where this was going to go until he asked the students what they thought *his* job was as the teacher. The whole class looked up. “Do you think I should just not tell you when it doesn’t sound good? Would you like that?” The class responded, “no..” He continued, “So when I tell you that you aren’t working as hard as I know you can, would you agree? Or am I making this up?” They agreed. Then he started the piece over.

3. We all got to have a peptalk later about it, and we were reminded that as a director, you have to be the parent, teacher, public speaker, banker, therapist, influencer, …the list goes on. Sometimes it is so hard! But the bottom line is, you have to care, and like Dr. B said this morning before we all headed out, you have got to constantly reflect as a teacher. Is what you are doing, working? How can you improve? It is a never ending process. You will never know it all, but you will- get better. To be a director seems to really be a juggle. Yet, …to be a director, I know it will be so rewarding for you when you know how to line up those students’ “wants” with yours as the teacher. 

After all, that’s why we’re here to be a teacher right?