First-Year Teaching Reflections
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Teaching Reflection: Week 15
The surprises are constant. Like the students who never look engaged making progress after so much time encouraging and pushing them, or leaving them alone (cause hovering can also not work). There are so many limitations on how I can support my kids, it’s frustrating to see them fall behind when I know there’s a…
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Teaching Reflection: Week 14
I was reading an article about mentorship a while ago, which specifically commented on how people need to be better trained as mentors. The author was highlighting the issue of how many people who get into mentorship programs with various organizations aren’t prepared for how hard mentorship can be–that your mentee isn’t always going to…
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Teaching Reflection: Week 13
I need to detach myself from the weight of testing and quantitative data. I have 2 purposes (for myself) as a teacher. They are coexistent but don’t have to relate to each other– Engage my students in critically analyzing their world. Develop their French proficiency according to standards set by the county. The second is…
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Teaching Reflection: Week 12
Responsive pedagogy: The kids love anime/manga. I knew this, and made a conversation assignment using a manga strip. My 6th graders FLIPPED OUT. Adorable and hopefully will help them actually do their homework. Teacher identity: I’ve gotten the attention of a random 6th grade Caps fan after he noticed my Flyers gear in the hall.…
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Teaching Reflection: Week 11
Decolonial pedagogy: We’ve been talking about Canadian residential schools in my 8th grade classes and the students have been a lot more interested and reactionary than I thought they would. Curiosity, anger, questions about whether it happened in the U.S. Assimilation and contemporary connections to immigration. This all engaged students who I never would’ve thought…