Getting my Feet Wet

So I have been at Troy now officially for a week and I already feel at home. Each day I become a little less nervous and get a little more comfortable with my role as intern. I have slowly been teaching small parts of my class and it is great to be involved. I also think I know all of the names of my students, which I am really excited about, because I was nervous I would struggle with that, but know how much it means to have your teacher know who you are. Something I forgot to mention is on the first day of class I had my students fill out an index card about themselves. It is a great way to get to know your students a little better, but was something I always grumbled at as a student. If you ask the right questions, you are able to get an idea as to what your student’s are about, or at least be able to find a connection with them. I would certainly recommend to future teachers, if you did not do this to try it when you have your own class, it can certainly help you make a difference. My mentor has been really helpful working with me to team-teach until I feel comfortable enough to take over. Today, I taught for about half a class and I could feel the nerves beginning to fade as I began to speak. I think it helps that I get to observe my mentor first period so that I am that much more prepared for my fourth period class. Plus, each night I review the materials and make notes so that I am more familiar with what is going to happen the next day.
  Today was a review class, so I took the opportunity to get a little more involved. I decided to make a review sheet for my class, because it is always nice to have one sheet that has the important information that you need to know. Plus, it gave the students an opportunity to work together and for me to walk around and to see if they were getting it. It was interesting as I walked around to see which students decided to work together and which opted to work on their own. As my professors in the MAT program always said during the summer, you can learn a lot about your students when they work in groups and when you get to observe them. This was one of my first chances to really observe them, when the teacher or myself was not talking. I am interested to see after their quizzes tomorrow, if their review sheets made a difference. I will be able to compare their grades to the other two sections, as a gauge for me if review sheets help or not. Obviously each class is different, but I wonder if it might help with some of the tougher questions, so I will keep you posted. Today is my first night class for Biological Demonstrations, so I am excited to get a sense of what that is all about. 
  I am currently trying to stay on top of my work for my internship and grad classes, because I am hoping I can attend TGIT, which is an event put on my UGC every Thursday evening at Clinton's Ditch. It is a great opportunity to see friends and faculty in a relaxed setting with some good food and company. This is the first gathering for the year, but I have heard nothing but good things, so I am hoping I can take advantage of the opportunity.
  I think that is all I have for now. Have a great week everyone!