First Day in 2nd Grade!

Today I got to meet the class I'm going to be working with! I walked in while Mrs. Haraway (Deb, my mentor teacher) was reading a story and her 2nd grade students were sitting on the carpet. She stopped and introduced me. I nervously said 'Hi I'm Ms. Fimmen and I'm so excited to be working with you all!". They were all so very cute and listening so attentively. Mrs. Haraway decided it would be a good idea to get into a circle so I could get to know each of the children by name. Lots of the personalities came out through this activity. I can already tell who I will be spending some of my time with from this one encounter.
After the game, Mrs. Haraway told the children to get their books for read-to-self time. I walked around and listened to some of the children read. It was very clear that the children understood the expectations during this time. They are to read silently in their own seats, unless and adult says different.
I am so excited to be working in 2nd grade! I can tell that Deb has a very structured teaching style, and that is the kind of teacher I want to be. I'm hoping to learn a lot!

Intro to Ed. Ch. 2

This chapter makes me think of all of the positive (and negative) teachers influences i've had in my life. I immediately think of one, my 4th grade teacher, who was the best! She really took a personal interest in my life, and helped me through a very though time with my family. To this day, I remember her when I'm working with my kiddos. I try and remember what she did for me, and how I could make a difference in other children's lives.
I am a huge believer that a good teacher can impact children's lives and move beyond the home barriers. Yes it is difficult of children are coming to school hungry, but a good teacher will catch this and do something about it early on. In my opinion, this is part of what being a good teacher is.