handwritten on July 8, 2013
This week was absolutely exhausting due to the fact that we finally taught a full five days! The beginning of this week started off somewhat shaky. The students are becoming more comfortable with each other and so talking in between transitions within the classroom has become my main challenge. I had to physically move a student’s desk one day so that she was forced to pay attention to the lesson instead of choosing to talk to her friend. Moving name tags around twenty or thirty minutes before class starts has become a routine.
Unfortunately, I have come to realize that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect classroom combination.’ At the same time, I have come to realize that I actually...
handwritten on July 1, 2013
This week was an abbreviated week at Summerbridge due to the extended Fourth of July weekend. At this point I am a bit sleep deprived, but classes went well, and I am beginning to know my students better every day. This week we worked on the color-coding stoplight method that is used to understand and identify the parts of a solid expository paragraph. Although I wasn’t ecstatic about this particular lesson, it was a mandatory part of the curriculum so I tried my best to keep a positive attitude. It certainly is amazing how easily a student or a group of students can sense a teacher’s positive or negative mood for a particular day. I realized that when I try my best to remain energetic and...
handwritten on June 22, 2013
The first week certainly went better than expected. The first day began with loud cheers coming from the summerbridge teachers and tired and somewhat puzzled seventh, eighth and ninth graders trudging off the buses. As we finished breakfast for the first time together, we recited the daily summerbridge chant: “We are Summerbridge Pittsburgh. We are the young people who make a difference. We are striving for academic success and personal mastery. We come with open minds, willing hearts, caring souls and high expectations. We are Summerbridge Pittsburgh.” It was during this moment that I knew this would be an unforgettable summer.
The first day was honestly a blur. It was a combination...
handwritten on June 14, 2013
Unfortunately, I am already behind on blogging due to the craziness of last week. Nevertheless, I figured I would post something anyway. It is certainly better late than never!
Week two orientation could probably be summed up in about one word: stressful. You think you have worked hard until you are asked to design lesson plans and curriculum materials from scratch following a very specific lesson plan template. Then, you realize that the phrase “hard work” has a completely new meaning. Despite the sleepless nights, we managed to make it through the week and learned a lot in the process.
We learned significant amounts on how to incorporate structured and guided practice within the classroom...
handwritten on June 6, 2013
I cannot believe week one orientation is already over! I arrived the first day somewhat nervous and apprehensive about what this summer was going to be like for me. However, I immediately realized that I had nothing to worry about. I met some of the most intelligent and hard working college students this week that were eager to share their stories with me.
Lesson number one: The first lesson I learned this week was to always come into Summerbridge with high energy and a willing heart. On Thursday, the staff introduced the concept of “energizers” which are basically catchy chants that we sing to each other and to the kids to get them excited about the day and excited about learning. I am...
