It begins...

Hello All!

This year, I'm completing my last year of the Master's of Education/Initial Licensure program at the University of Massachusetts Boston. This means that first semester, I will be finishing up my classes (English Methods, RETELL, and Studies in Literature and Film) in addition to completing my prepracticum in an ELA classroom (ELA being the subject I wish to teach) at a school in Boston. A prepracticum, or preprac, is the first stage of student teaching. You observe, do some light classroom assisting, teach mini lessons, a lesson here or there, and get your feet wet. Next semester I will be a full blown student teacher completing my practicum hopefully at the same school where I complete my preprac.

This blog will be my way of documenting my anxieties about becoming an actual teacher of record, my experiences in front of the classroom, and my general feelings throughout the process. I will first tell you all that I am very nervous about starting my teaching career. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was four (save for a few years in late middle, early high school when I wanted to be a lawyer) and all I've ever been was a student; now that I'm approaching the finish line of the race to be a teacher of record, I'm really scared. What if my students don't pass their standardized tests and I get fired? What if none of my students pass because I'm actually a bad teacher and I get fired? What if I accidentally say something that a student may find offensive and then I get fired? There are just so many different targets on teachers' backs that sometimes it's daunting to put on the teacher hat. Don't get me wrong, even when I sit in my classes, absolutely terrified of all of the unknowns about the teaching profession, I still believe in my heart of hearts that I was meant to do this job. I think that being an educator is, far and away, the most important job in the entire world. I think I'll be a good teacher, maybe even a great one, and that is the thought I hang on to when my professors tell me stories about different reasons that various teachers that they knew were fired. That's the thought I hang on to when I hear people talk about the thankless job I'm pursuing. That's the thought I hang on to when people talk about how grossly under payed teachers are. This is the most important job in the world and I think that I will be good at it.

Let me tell you where I am thus far in my final year of graduate school. I'm going into my third week of classes. I'm two weeks behind in class because - ho ho ho - I don't have a preprac placement yet. I emailed the woman in charge of placing the graduate students and she said, "I'm sorry you don't have a placement yet. We're having a hard time placing all of the ELA students because there are just so many of you. I'll email you when I have placement for you." This infuriated many of the ELA students because, yes there are a lot of us, but this is also HER JOB and she had all summer to do it. The amount of us that didn't have placements when the semester started was astonishing. I emailed her again when I realized how far behind in my classes I would be and she replied, "I understand it's frustrating. There is an opening at a middle school in a 7th/8th grade ELA class. Would that work?" I emailed her back telling her that it would work PERFECTLY and asked her who I should contact at the school and she gave me an email address. Now, bear in mind, I would prefer to teach high school, but this school is an easy commute for me and at this point, I want a placement more than to teach high school. Also, lately the idea of teaching middle school has become more and more appealing. I've emailed the principal of the school and I've called, so far, no response, no answer. I'm really hoping I hear on Monday, and even if I don't I'm going to call again. I really hope this placement works out though because it really seems perfect for me.


Until next time!