Full time student teaching/attending classes: Day 1

One thing I learned:
Teachers you seek recommendations from (master teacher and field instructor and professor) will be asking themselves: Do I want this person as a teacher next-door to me? when they are filling out recommendations. I knew, but not straight out obvious like Prof. AR stated.

Questions and still want to know: I wonder if I am going to be heading up student-parent-teacher conferences during the spring quarter of full-time student teaching.

Anxious about: I am anxious about optimizing my learning as a future teacher while still not stepping on my master teacher's toes. I want to learn as much as I can this year, and I think one of the best ways for me to learn about writing lesson plans and teaching and assessing is to practice, so how can I learn the best way for me to learn while still following the seemingly strict guidelines in the handbooks and avoiding toe-stepping on.

I am also anxious that I will learn too fast or faster than my master teacher is expecting or Jim is expecting. I have been managing small classes (15-20) in informal education settings for quite a while and feel pretty confident there, and I don't want to get ahead of myself or my master teacher, but I don't want to feel unchallenged either, because then I will not enjoy my internship.

Excites me: Doing more focused learning. I have been working in camps and field trip and environmental education centers, and the kids are usually excited about the field trip or it's camp and they know it's fun, so there is somewhat less academic focus. I am excited by the new challenge of focused academics and incorporating the fun techniques into teaching. I am excited to be with kids for longer than a day or a week so I can get to know them better and really help them make progress.