Observation Day One

I just finished my first Observation day at the school I'll be doing my IFX, and I must admit it is a fantastic school! I'm not the only student teacher there, in fact there's 6 of us. So our day consisted of half of us observing the lower grades and the other half observing the upper grades. Then next Friday we'll switch. 

Morning Recap: We met our school coordinator (who by the way was welcoming and supportive throughout the whole day!) and many staff members. Mandatory paperwork was completed and a tour of the school was done. I also observed a math class and a health class where I was able to contribute in a teacher-like authority about the concepts they were learning.

When the lunch bell rang, I walked back to the staff room when I was stopped by a student. I think she was in the upper grade level because of the location of the school. She asked:

How long does it take to get your degree at the University?

I responded saying that it usually takes 4, but some people take longer. Then I explained at how expensive it was and that they should start saving money now. (I was part joking, but also part serious).

At this point in my explanation, I had at least 7 of them gathered around me inquiring about University. They were giving me so many oohs and aahs that I just had to mention it here. Internally, I was trying to hold it in so that way I wouldn't scare them.

Afternoon Recap: We played Doctor Dodgeball (seriously we did) with 2 classes in the gym, so I think that was 50+ elementary kids running around either a) "killing" someone b) protecting their "Doctor" or c) wanting me to throw the balls so that their team would win. Of course I played, but wearing a suit and tie, I just was a helper in retrieving some balls. After gym, I watched a science unit about constellations and a language arts project. 

How did my day go? It turned out better than I expected! I'm really excited in the students' enthusiasm and energy that I briefly witnessed today. I could tell that some were thrilled to get student teachers, so I'm not worried at all in which grade I'll be getting to teach.

(But I'm really hoping for Grade 5!)