Finally...a Mentor Teacher!

I have been anxious to start this blog and was planning on doing so in early May when I thought I would find out my placement for student teaching. However, of course this didn't go as planned. A couple of days after finding out my original placement, I received a call from the placement coordinator at my university. Considering she rarely answers her email, a personal phone call definitely set off a red flag. She explained that the original teacher that I was placed with applied for early retirement due to a buyout incentive in the district. So, I have been left without  a mentor teacher for the last few weeks and have been anxiously waiting to see if I would be placed at a different school and with what mentor teacher. After a long wait, I have finally been placed with a mentor teacher!

I will be teaching in an inner-city magnet school in a 5/6 mixed age classroom. I met with my mentor teacher for the first time today. There was a 105 degree high today (in early June?? I think it's gonna be a hot and humid one this summer) and the school was absolutely sweltering. No AC! After taking a look at the classroom for a quick minute because we were sweating like dogs (definitely not looking forward to teaching all day in late August/early September with no AC), my mentor teacher (who I will refer to as Jane for privacy purposes) and I sat down for a quick get-to-know-you. I think we'll get along pretty well. Jane is goofy, laid back and clearly passionate about her job and the students that she teaches. The kids even call her Jane in the classroom! I have decided that I definitely cannot get away with the whole just-the-first-name thing as I have been mistaken for a 14-year old within the past few years and can almost guarantee that I WILL have students taller than I am. For authority purposes, I think I'll go with Ms. O :) Anyways, Jane seems awesome, and I'm very excited to work with her. 

A couple things we talked about that I'm pretty excited for,,,,

* The students go on an overnight camping trip at the end of September. What a great way to bond with my new students and plus, sad as it is, I've never been camping...

* The school has a mentoring program where at-risk students are placed with a teacher as a mentor for an entire year. They spend one-on-one time during the school day together in an effort to build a solid relationship with a trustworthy adult. Jane said that if I would be willing to commit for an entire year, I would be able to participate!

* 18 of this year's current 5th graders will be returning as 6th graders in the classroom next year and 12 new 5th graders will be joining our classroom community. I'm looking forward to the 6th graders helping me along in this journey and navigating the journey with the new 5th graders.

* Speaking of my 5th/6th graders...what an amazing and unique experience to have as a student teacher. I honestly didn't know there were any multi-age classrooms in the city. It will be definitely be a challenge but I'm so grateful for the experience. 

* Jane mentioned that she would like my help in instilling a love of reading in the students. Well, I'm definitely the perfect person to do this as I'm an avid reader myself (Growing up,  my mother actually took my books away from as punishment for misbehavior).  Jane mentioned some popular middle school series so I will be starting a middle school summer book list. Ahh, a summer of reading teen fiction...what could be better? I may even have to pull out my "Real Guys Read" poster for this classroom...I've so been waiting to use it. 

I think that's it for now. Hopefully I'll keep this blog up. I haven't mentioned that I spent a wonderful semester teaching first grade this spring. I think that'll be the topic for the next blog. Can't wait to gush about my kiddos!