Comments on Summer School

I'm about a week into teaching summer school and I've been teaching every day so far. It's ok, but it's not how I envisioned my summer to be. I just don't understand why MTC told us so adimantly last year that we should never teach summer school and then instructs us to do the exact opposite this year. Honestly, I don't even remember which member of the program gave us this advice but many MTC members remember hearing it. It's alright though. I'm trying to make the best out of the situation. I know that it just provides extra practice for me as a teacher and to some small extent will help me improve. Unfortunately, for the second summer in a row I'm teaching a subject that I've never taught before and will never teach again so much of what I do on a daily basis is useless to me. What's more is that my class is comprised of two kids (two wonderful kids at that). Again, I see some benefit albeit very small for the first years who are just beginning their teaching careers. It seems to me that they are becoming more confident each day which is a great thing especially going into teaching cold turkey, but I honestly feel that at least a few of them are going to have a mental breakdown when suddenly they are standing in front of 30 high schoolers staring right back at them. I feel really bad for my first years. Moreover, we have absolutely no management problems in our class. I mean, come on. There are two students and five teachers. It isn't often that the students are outnumbered. If I were in their situation, I wouldn't make so much as a peep throughout all four periods. Our first years are not learning any practical management skills in our class, nor do they have the opportunity to test some of the management skills they are learning in Ms. Monroe's class. It's unfortunate.

Now I'm not placing any blame on anyone in the corps but I just so see this summer school project as benefitting any of the teacher. Who it does benefit is the kids. I think our students are extremely lucky to have such individualized instruction. It's probably the best thing to happen to these kids since sliced bread, even though they would never agree. In fact, it is the fact that I see these kids improving that gets me up in the morning.

More comments coming in the future including comments about the slop they try to pass off for lunch down here. Gross! I miss Annies!