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July 01, 2006
day 7
June 30, 2006
day 6
June 29, 2006
day 5
June 28, 2006
day 4
June 27, 2006
day 3

listening to: wanksta

One thing has been nagging me lately. I have worked in Amherst for over four years. And for the most part I really liked it. The kids were great, the schools were small. Now it drives me crazy. It just doesn't seem realistic. And while I know my life would be a lot easier if I worked in a district like Amherst, somehow the urban districts seem to call to me.

While I did my student teaching in Springfield, I still worked one day a week in Amherst. The contrast was startling. In my class in Springfield, it was me and my mentor, though we did only has 12 kids. We did not have a lot of supplies, hell we did not even have a "classroom". We shared space with 3 other classes. A teacher's nightmare when you have two students with ADHD. In Amherst, it was me, the teacher, a student teacher, and two aides. In Amherst they have a mentor for first year teachers. Plus, they buddy you with an experienced teacher. Now, in my school in Springfield, each space holds 4 classes, so if you were a new teacher, you would have unofficial mentors, but they may not be great teachers themselves. In Springfield we dressed professionally, not just the student teachers, but all the teachers. In fact, we now that I think of it, many of our students dressed well. It might not be the latest fashions or the best brands. I am sure none of my kids in Springfield wore Abercrombie for instance, but they were dressed well. Few wore jeans, most wore pants or a skirt. Sure, we had one kid who had like two pairs of pants, and like three shirts, so he would alternate between the outfits until wash day, but his clothes were in good condition. In Amherst all the teachers wear jeans, the students often wear wind pants or something. Maybe I am just thinking too much about it. Should it matter? Maybe not. But I feel more comfortable in Springfield now.

Ironic, I think. I wasn't really looking forward to it, and yes, there were times where I would get frustrated. I would think about how much easier it would be if I was teaching in Amherst.

I am really worried about the switch though. Their last student teacher was really really good. In fact, I am convinced she is not human but in fact a robot. I mean, hell, this woman has two small children, one is like 3, the other about 15 months, and she is always on top of things. I don't know how she does it. She has the most on her plate, and I think she is the top person in our program. Of course, maybe because the rest of us get lazy because we can. I know that often when I had my 18 credit semesters I did better than when I had 12. Because I had to stay on top of things or else I was screwed.

With one more semester left, I better go out with a bang.

Before - After