Mr. Rubinstein

I sure wish I had written this blog right after I had read the book Reluctant Disciplinarian. I was intrigued, enlightened, excited (unlike Jess ;) and just had so many ideas...how I would teach, how I would learn from Mr.Rubinstein, not fall into his traps, swerve past the mistakes of past teachers, and end up with my own well-behaved, well-managed classroom.

Now that I have heard more from other teachers and read more, coming from all different directions, from smiling and bouncing down the halls with friendly greetings, to not smiling til December, I have realized that we really do have to take everything we hear with a grain of salt. And you really do hear MANY things over and over again. Perhaps it is these things that I should really listen to...

So the RD, as I will shorten it, was a very pleasant, funny, and still worthwhile read. I jotted down some notes in student teaching today of what struck me the most, either through humor, or something important to remember for my soon-to-be-teaching days:

-Learn from mistakes, myself and others included (ex: when writing names on the board, keep it in one place...Gary had problems with names drifting across the board as he was teaching)
-Detention is not the end-all answer. (the teacher is often stuck after school in charge of it)
-Be decisive and direct when giving directions and answering questions, even if you really aren't sure. (something I need to work on)
-What works: teacher look, start off with tried and true traditional methods, test new ideas very critically.
-"Always speak as though you expect students to do what you ask, and allow them room to do it" (p.84). This helps avoid unnecessary confrontation, and will model respect for others.
-Develop a teaching persona (I've realized I'm not as super nice as I thought...what kind of teacher will I be?)
-Like your students: if they drive me crazy, try to see them in another light- talk to them outside of class about their interests (in a friendly manner, but not just as a friend) and try to visualize them as someone's child...however much I think it's true, his/her sole purpose in life is not to make mine harder.

And there you have it. I need to find my own style, and I'm sure this won't come until after I have taught for a while.

And on a side note, I must say that everyone in this program is genuinely caring and interested in each other...when I got back from Memphis yesterday, no one was bombarding me with crazy stories from the weekend or things concerning them, but instead the Stewart ladies asked, "How was your trip?" "What did the doctor say?" (I went to the doctor to get my leg checked out. turns out I pretty much have a stress fracture, so no running for a while) and "We missed you!" It made me feel like I was cared about...what a great group eh?