Reflection On This Past Year

The mentorship that I was a part of this year was a very different experience for me that involved a lot of learning. Through it, I grew personally and learned more about myself. I became more mature as I had to be a role model for the students in Mrs. Brooksher's class, and I was reminded of what it is like to be a seventh grader. I also made friends with all the students that I taught.
This mentorship made me learn a lot about what I want in my future. I know that I definitely want to be some type of mathematics teacher when I get older. I discovered that it is something that I am good at and that I have a lot of fun with. I think I also discovered a little bit of what my teaching style is like. I learned about my weaknesses in teaching. My biggest weakness is that I have trouble speaking in front of a class, and it is something that I will have to work on.
I had two big accomplishments this year. One was that I was able to lead a class all on my own. It was a little scary but a lot of fun. The other is that I got to help struggling students understand the material. There were times where I got to work one-on-one with students who had no idea what was going on in class, and after I helped them, they understood everything. These were the "ah-ha!" moments that I posted about before.
I'm so glad that Mrs. Brooksher was my mentor this year. She taught me so much, and it was great to be in her classroom again. She taught me ways that she likes to teach, the extra things she does as a teacher, such as how to organize a gradebook, and helpful tips and tricks for my beginning years as a teacher. She showed me how to make teaching a job that you want to go to everyday, and she gave me confidence in what I want to be when I get older.
I plan on taking college classes that will further my knowledge of math, and I will take other classes on education. I had so much fun this year and learned so much that I am even taking this class again next year with Mrs. Brooksher. I'm so excited, and I can't wait for next year!

Success and Setbacks

       The three biggest successes I have had at my mentorship are receiving my first thank you note, learning to be comfortable in front of the class, and creating a "Ta-da!" moment in a few students. In the middle of the first semester, a student gave me a note that thanked me for coming down from the high school to help teach the class. I was not expecting to get anything like it. Mrs. Brooksher told me to always keep that note and other ones like it because they help get you through a bad day. After doing a brain teasers for a few weeks, I had become very comfortable in front of the class. Mrs. Brooksher even told me that I was more comfortable in front of a class than most of the student teachers she has had. That comment meant a lot to me, and it motivated me. I also was able to work with a group of 4 students who were struggling with exponents, and I was able to get that "Ta-da!" moment out of every one of them. Being able to do that also motivated me a lot, and it let me know that I am doing something I enjoy and am good at.

       The biggest setback I had was during one of the brain teasers I gave the class. The brain teaser I gave them was very hard, and when I tried to explain the solution, every student became confused and frustrated. When that happened, a lot of students stopped paying attention and started talking. I did not know how to control the room and get it back on track, so Mrs. Brooksher had to come in and save me. I hated the fact that I needed Mrs. Brooksher to step in. Although that was one of the hardest days of my mentorship, it reminded me to take it slow and calm when explaining to the class and that showing frustration and not confidence can force a class to get out of control. 

Career Path/Workload/Tasks

Career Path
       If I am to follow the career path of my mentor, I have to continue to work hard in school and be patient. It will take a long time and a lot of schooling to be the type of teacher with the right type of credentials that I want to be. I also need to continually observe the different ways people learn. Mrs. Brooksher is always trying to be more creative and more engaging in her teaching, and she is always trying new ways of teaching that she thinks will affect how much specific types of students are learning more. This is something I currently do with my teachers and Mrs. Brooksher. I try to look for new things that my teachers are doing to engage the class more, and continuing to do that will help me become a very great teacher.

Workload
       Mrs. Brooksher told me what a middle school faculty is like: a few people do a lot of the work. The work may be directly associated with curriculum or some of it can be extracurricular. Whichever the type of work, I have noticed that what she told me is true. The teachers that do most of the work and are more involved in the school are usually the most experienced teachers who have been within the school system for a long time, and this makes sense. Mrs. Brooksher warned about getting involved in too many extra things in a school when I begin my career as a teacher. She told me that beginning teachers should be focused on being able to control a classroom and effectively teaching their students. Only after a couples years should be when teacher decide to get involved with all the "extra stuff" that goes along with being a teacher.

Tasks
      The task that I am most excited for when I become a teacher is the "Ta-da!" moments that students feel when they finally understand a topic that they are struggling with. I feel like those are the moments that make being a teacher all the worth while, and that the quality of a teacher is measured by the ability to find those "Ta-da!" moments in any student. The tasks that do not seem all that fun are things like staff meetings, following a large, strict, and detailed curriculum in a year, dealing with students that are in big trouble, and filling out paperwork.

Interpersonal Skills at My Mentorship

Culture/Collegiality
        Different teachers and other employees are always helping each other out at my mentorship. Most of the time, this interaction is between teachers within the same department. The math teachers are always working together by sharing lesson plans and ideas, planning a unit, and creating tests and quizzes. Teachers from other departments interact together by watching each others classes when one of them needs a restroom break. All teachers also interact with other employees, such as the janitors. The teachers always try to show their thanks in some way to the janitors for the hard work that they do. The employees are very sociable, and they do not always discuss about their jobs. These are the kinds of employees that I would like to work with. I would like to work with someone who would help me out with my job while also being able to casually talk to me.

Collaboration
        Teachers within the same department constantly collaborate. They plan out the year and plan out how to improve CRCT scores. They also create quizzes and tests together, and they discuss which classes students should be placed in. Teachers from other departments also work together to plan out the events of the year and to plan out how to improve test scores.

Mentoring
        I have seen both formal and informal mentoring at my mentorship. There have been times when teachers that have been teaching for a while are in the teacher workroom and give advice to newer teachers about how they teach a specific topic or how they handle with a specific type of student. I have also seen this happen the other way around. There have been times when newer teacher give advice to more experienced teachers. Sometimes, the mentoring is more formal. There has been a time when a new teacher that is still learning has sit in on my mentor's class and observed how she handles classroom environment. There is always mentoring going on at the middle school.

Interview with My Mentor

I interviewed my mentor, wondering what it was like for her when she first began her career as a teacher. Below are her responses and my reflections to her answers.

1. What was the best lesson you learned in your first year of teaching?

• "Honestly, the first year of teaching I was in survival mode.  I got my first job immediately after finishing my student teaching in December.  It was difficult to take over another person’s class in the middle of the year as a new teacher.  I think that I was just going through the motions and trying to look like I kind of, sort of knew what was going on.  That was before you had to be “highly qualified”, so they made me teach a social studies class in addition to my math classes.  I couldn’t really even fake that I knew what was going on in social studies.  I shudder when I think about the disservice I did to those kids.  So, I was in a sink or swim kind of situation and when you’re so focused on keeping your head above the water it’s not really the time to be learning a lot of lessons.  Though, I did learn a few things that first year.  I learned that to avoid spitballs, I shouldn’t turn my back on the students.  I learned the hard way that I shouldn’t participate in faculty/student ball games.  I learned to spend time with the colleagues who would inspire and encourage me rather than the ones who wanted someone with whom they could complain.  Most importantly I learned to prepare.  I found that it was much easier to NOT drown when I was well prepared."
• It must have been terrifying to be thrown into a teaching job during the middle of the year, especially when you are forced to teach a subject that you are not prepared for. However, that sink or swim moment that Mrs. Brooksher had was probably one of the reasons why she is such an amazing and caring teacher now. It seems very important to surround yourself with the right colleagues who are great role models rather than ones that complain all the time. Being prepared also seems very important. Teachers always have a lot of work to do and being prepared is a good way to lessen the stress of a first year as a teacher.

2. What did you wish you knew about being a teacher before your first year?

• "I wish that I had known better how to balance love and discipline.  It took me a while to figure that out.  I suppose becoming a parent helped.  I think in the beginning of my career, I forgot to lay the groundwork of a respectful, caring relationship first.  I didn’t know to never show fear!  Sometimes when you first start teaching you can feel like maybe, just maybe, this is more than you can handle.  That’s when teachers FREAK OUT.  Never, ever, show fear!  Even if you feel like a tornado is in your gut, you must keep a calm exterior.  Repeat to yourself, “I am in control.  I am in control…”  I think I was so scared to lose control of the class that I may have yelled at them.  That’s disrespectful.  Who wants to be yelled at??? Now I understand that disciplining students is a form of compassion for them.  More importantly, I’ve mastered the skill of making sure that the students know that even when I’m disciplining them, I care about them.  I make that part of my first day of school speech.   “I love you already.  I love 7^th graders!  I think you’re awesome!!!  I’m GLAD you’re here.  Don’t get me wrong, though.  I will not tolerate misbehavior.  I can’t because I love you so much that I want to make sure you’re learning and making good choices.”  I respect them Every. Single. Day. (even when they are being twerps).  I understand that life in middle school can really, really suck and I have empathy for them.  I think they know that, so when I have to discipline them for whatever reason, it’s kind of easy.  They listen because they know that I care.  I can whisper to them, “I hate to see you making such bad decisions.  Can you do better?”  Most of the time, they just nod and then… they do better! Sometimes, I may quietly say, “It seems like you’re having a problem.  Can you fix it by yourself or do you need my help?”  That may be it all it takes.  Obviously, sometimes more extreme measures must be taken but even then, teachers can be respectful by saying something like “I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to stay in my classroom today.  Let me call an administrator to come walk you to the office.  I hope tomorrow will be a better day for you”. Be calm and be kind…remembering that YOU are in control. So, it’s not about being nice or being mean, it’s about genuinely caring, showing them respect, and wanting what’s best for them.  I think a lot of new teachers don’t want to appear too “nice” or too “mean”.  Don’t worry with all of that.  All you have to do is care and make sure they know that you do. "
• I know that classroom control is an important skill of teaching but I have never thought about the best way to treat students. Students and teachers should have a relationship and the type of one that my mentor describes is key to being an effective teacher. I know that I like it more when my teachers respect and understand me. I never truly realized that the relationships that Mrs. Brooksher creates with her students is the reason why she stands out as one of the best teachers I have ever had.

3. What do you think makes your teaching style different from other teachers'?

• "I try to have high expectations and not take myself too seriously at the same time.  I think it’s important to remember that if I’m bored with what’s going on in class, the students surly will be too.  I love math, and it’s important to me that I help the students gain an appreciation for it.  If I ever start feeling like I’m not enjoying teaching, then I know it’s time to change things up in the classroom.  I think that life should be fun and relaxing every chance we get, so I try to make math that way."
• One thing that I've always noticed about Mrs. Brooksher is that she tries to make math fun for everyone. This is probably the main reason that I want to become a teacher. Its because I want to be able to develop an appreciation inside of others about a subject that I love. I think it is very important for any good teacher, especially a math teacher because math can be frustrating and boring to a lot of students, to be able to make the subject that they are teaching fun for their students.

4. What is your strongest trait as a teacher?

• "According to my most recent student surveys, a positive learning environment and a challenging learning environment are my strengths."
• I like the idea of student surveys. I think they are the best way to find out how to improve on as a teacher. I feel that these strong traits could also be strong traits for me as well. From the teaching experience I have been given this year, I feel like I have been able to make a healthy learning environment for my students with my brain teasers. They force the kids to really think and want to learn while having fun doing it.

5. What about teaching do you feel that you still need to work on?

• "I have a lot of work to do when it comes to using technology to enhance my instruction.  I also need to work on communicating better with parents.  My student surveys suggest that I am weakest in varied instructional strategies and closing my lessons."
• I feel like these weak skills are not crucially important. Students should can learn just as well with little technology as with a lot of technology. It depends on how effective the teacher is. It is the same way with varied instructional strategies. Teachers should use varied strategies, but too many may not be effective on the students. Closing lessons, however, are very important. After observing Mrs. Brooksher, I find that I like the way she closes lessons. She teaches notes with a PowerPoint and class discussion, and then jumps straight into worksheets for students to practice what they have just learned.

6. Did you struggle in any way during your first year of teaching? If so, what got you through it?

• "Ha!  (see #1…)  I struggled in a lot of ways my first year.  Good colleagues and perseverance got me through it.  Someone told me that it takes three years before you start to “sail a little easier”.  I held onto that and waited for it to happen."
• I like knowing that teaching will be very hard the first three years. It will help me prepare for the stress of the beginning of my teaching career. Perseverance and good friends are the best way to make it easier.

7. What surprised you about teaching the most that you were not expecting?

• "Teaching is like laundry.  If you ever get caught up, it doesn’t last long.  There is always something to be done.  It takes more than “a village” to run a school – it takes a village, some super heroes and lots of caffeine.  My advice would be to NOT try to be one of the super heroes your first few years.   There will be plenty of time for that later.  (The super heroes are the ones who do a whole lot of extra stuff…).   You have to really prioritize.  It can be easy to get bogged down with paper work and other things.  It’s important to remember that above all else, you are there to serve the students.  If students are in your room, they must be the top priority.  Everything else can wait. Another thing that may surprise you is that teachers sometimes complain.  A LOT.  Make an effort to surround yourself with the ones who don’t.  It’s exhausting to listen to someone whine all the time.  Plus, attitudes truly are contagious.  Remember your place.  You can’t fix bad parenting, dwindling resources, or politics.  And… it’s not your place to.  As a beginning teacher, your place is to teach students and that’s HUGE.  Do the best you can with that and go home happy."
• I like the advice of not being a superhero. Getting into a lot of extra stuff it something that I probably would really want to do, but its good to wait until I have been teaching for a few years. It is also important to remember what your job is. A teacher should focus on teaching, especially for the beginning years, and not the politics.

8. How different is the way you teach now different from your first year?

• "The way I teach now is entirely different from how I taught when I started, and hopefully it will be somewhat different next year too.  That’s one of the great things about this career.  We always have an opportunity to reinvent ourselves.  I love that!  I always keep a list of new things I want to try or things I want to do differently.  I also take a survey of my students at the end of each school year to find out what things they enjoyed and what they didn’t.  I appreciate the fact that I get a new start each year."
• I'm not sure I would be a teacher that would like to try different things every year. Of course I would make any changes that would make me a more successful and effective teacher and I would always want to improve, but I don't think that I would want to try things in a different way. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. However, I may want to change a lot about my teaching style when I actually become a teacher.

9. How difficult is it to continually obtain more qualifications?

• "It’s not easy, but it is necessary.  We are in the business of learning, so it makes sense that we continue learning ourselves.  I enjoy that part – the learning.  Finding a balance between teaching school, going to school, having a family and a life can be tricky though.  There are certain things that aren’t optional, like PLU’s (professional learning units).  You have to have so many of those to renew your teaching certificate every several years.  But if you decide to go back to school for another degree, timing is important.  You wouldn’t want to do that at the same time that you have other major things going on (like getting married, having children, etc.)."
• Like Mrs. Brooksher, I am a person who loves to learn. I like the outlook on staying in school that she has about continuing to learn because we are in the business of learning. I think that if I can have that same perspective, then the necessity of obtaining more qualifications would be easier/

10. What was the deciding factor that made you want to be a teacher and when did you realize it?

• "For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a teacher. The only time I have ever doubted that was once during my junior year of college when I decided that maybe I would be an accountant instead.  One of my education professors quickly redirected me!  I’m so glad that she did.  I love being a teacher.  I still get excited about open house and the first day of school.  Don’t get me wrong.  This job is not easy.  It is exhausting.  It can be thankless at times.  Teachers aren’t always respected, and the pay isn’t great.  And absolutely none of that matters when you realize that you have made a difference for a student.  It sounds cliché, but there truly is nothing like it. Sometimes when I’m teaching, I will recognize influences from my past.  Mrs. O’Kelley is in my persistence to teach basic facts to those students who just can’t get it.  She had little race cars on the wall with our names on them that would move as we learned our multiplication facts.  My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Davis, had the most beautiful hand writing in the whole wide world, and I think of her every time I write notes on the board.  Sometimes when I’m explaining a problem, I realize how much I sound like Mrs. McElwee.  She was my very favorite high school math teacher.  One of my college math teachers put stickers on our tests if we made an A.  I loved seeing those stickers on the paper so much that I decided I would use stickers for my students too.  Mrs. Murphy, my high school Spanish teacher, once stopped class to chat with me because she recognized that I was having a rough day.  She’s in my head all the time reminding me that sometimes things more important than math are going on with kids and that I should pay attention.  I like to think that I am a product of all of those wonderful teachers. So…. Long story long…  I knew very early on that I wanted to teach and a million little things along the way have contributed to that decision."  
• I think it is amazing that Mrs. Brooksher is so passionate about what she does. Its inspiring. Its funny that both her and I wanted to become a teacher at a young age. Its also cool to know that Mrs. Brooksher's teaching style is made up of a little of some of her favorite teachers. I know that when I become a teacher, a lot of Mrs. Brooksher's teaching style will show through mine.

My First Semester

Although this was after Winter Break, my most memorable mentorship moment was actually this past Friday. This day was like a regular Friday where I give the class a brain teaser. This brain teaser was not very easy but was not very hard. There were so many students that were so close to the final answer, but no one was getting it. Right before I was about to stop and go over the answer, four girls came up to me and all of them had it correct. This great thing about this brain teaser was that the entire class was more involved in it than ever. However, what made this moment the most memorable was that, to my surprise, I was the most comfortable I had ever been when I was explaining the answer. The right words seem to spill out of my mouth in a way that everyone understood the explanation. This moment made me realize how much I enjoy teaching and being in front of a class.
The biggest lesson I've learned this semester is that a teacher has so many responsibilities, jobs, and duties. Not only do teachers teach, which I have learned takes a lot of practice to master, but they are also constantly grading, dealing with the special needs of every student, and following guidelines from the county's board of education. They also try to be involved with school activities outside of the classroom, all while trying to raise a family. The lesson that I have learned is that teaching takes a very long time to master and perfect.
So far through this program, I have seen how hard I have to work and what I have to work on to become a great mathematics professor. I will use what I have learned so far to push me towards reaching my goals. This first semester has made me realize that I am pursuing something that I really enjoy doing and that teaching is something that I can learn to be very good at.

Final Project Proposal

• What do I want to know?
• I want to know what makes a great mathematics teacher and how to become one.
• My current essential question:
• Examine how beginning teachers develop into great teachers, and explain why many beginning teachers can struggle when controlling a classroom for the first time.
• What other tools will best showcase your project?
• A lesson plan on how to become a great mathematics teacher and an instructional video would help showcase my project and research.
• What will I do for "real inquiry"?
• Interview current mathematics teachers at a middle school, high school, and maybe college level would provide great information for my project and also lead me towards further questions.