High school week 1

Week 1

                Looking back at the last two days I’m not sure what stood out to me exactly. When I entered the school for the first time in over a year (I had observed and taught a few lessons in this school before) I was struck by the size difference between this school and the middle school down the street. The halls were huge and clean and every corner was plastered with their school mission statement. I turned the corner and in a widened space there was a large amount of student made art, I was impressed by the schools devotion to its students, but also a little intimidated by its size.

                When I got to the classrooms, however, a different reality sunk in. While the school itself was huge the classes were incredibly small. I wonder if anyone else noticed this with their first week experience. Aside from the senior class that we observed (which was roughly twenty students) I counted an average of nine or so students in the three other classes. I was shocked, it seemed so small. In middle school we had a solid twenty or so students in each class, but now it seems we’ll be lucky to get half of that. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, truth is I don’t know what it’ll end up being till I’ve dipped my feet in a bit more.

                Another thing I noticed was the lack of energy in the room. With so small a class I’d think the students would be talking and generally showing signs of being in a community. I want to make note that I don’t think this is the fault of the teacher but I think the students just don’t seem to have the energy to talk. It’s like the life has been drained out of them. I’m a bit worried about teaching them because it seems like the biggest struggle will be actually getting them to talk. They don’t seem to have any behavior issues, albeit I only observed the class twice, so that is an advantage I guess. I wonder if there is anything I can do to charge them up. In middle school the kids had too much energy and me and Danielle had to use mediation in order to get them to calm down and focus. What could I do to get the opposite effect out of these students? How can I wake them up?

                That’s not to say all the students are like that. The seniors seem to be the exception to all my observations but I won’t be teaching them. They are starting their senior project prep and the teacher said she’d rather work with them herself to make sure they’re on the right track. I totally get that, this school is a model for senior project and I wouldn’t think to step in on that. It would be far more valuable to observe how this school runs it so I can learn to do it myself one day.