It's a start...

So... Monday was my first day of observations (from 8 AM to 11 AM). I observed one Math Tech IV class, which was Statistics, and a CP Pre-Calculus class.

The first teacher I observed, Mrs. Wimpey, did an incredible job at interacting with her students. It was fantastic to see a real High School teacher in a situation where I'm not the student, and it made me appreciate teaching and math so much more because I realized just how much work must go into preparing, teaching, interacting, clarifying, etc. The second teacher I observed was Mrs. Cortez, who also interacted very well with her students. Both of them, and I found this very interesting, had a great relationship with their students. They weren't like my teachers in high school who were very business-oriented with their "I'm a teacher, you're a student, that's it" attitude. These teachers really seemed to care for the kids and about their learning, and it showed with their ability to tolerate horseplay to the extent that it didn't interrupt the class. They allowed kids to call out, but if they became a nuisance they quickly put an end to it, and the kids obliged. I wouldn't say they were chummy, but they definitely had something more special than that boring teacher-student relationship. I'd say it be more like mentor and peer.

What I'd love to see when I become a teacher is something like this happening among my students and myself. I'm sure when I first start I'll probably grip a little too tightly, and it will be a while before I feel I can loosen up without losing control of the classroom, but I feel more than prepared and ready to do that.

As for anything covered in class, I can't really think of anything off the top of my head that relates to this. Being attentive to your students' needs, perhaps, and attentive to their learning styles. Maybe that's why they had such a good relationship with the teacher, because the teacher was willing to go the extra mile to make sure they got it.