My first day

My first day at the high school for teacher in-service, I slid into a high school desk shortly before our department meeting. I sat there trying to remember if I had packed a change of clothes for cross-country practice. I forced myself back into reality, recognizing that I’m experiencing the other side of high school life, the side of power, behind the scenes shenanigans, and the mysterious disappearing acts of teachers when school lets out.

Everything seems so new and exciting; I’m like Charlie entering the chocolate factory. I can eat in the teacher’s lunchroom, come and go from the mailroom, copy room and any other place I fancy. I get to hear teacher gossip, see high school students from an outsider’s perspective, and pretend I know everything under the sun and look way more of an adult than I actually am!
Of course, I’m still as much a student in my current role as I was in high school. It’s exciting to participate in the construction of a positive classroom environment and learn how classroom management and general strategies can be effortlessly interwoven into class by my mentor.
While I enjoy observing, at times I feel antsy and wish I could jump up and lead a class discussion. I know, though, I will soon have ample opportunity for this ☺.

As far as technology access at my high school goes, it appears to be a challenging and grueling process to secure access, which is not even guaranteed. Teachers sign up and through a lottery drawing it’s decided who can have an overhead for the year. The computer lab is also overbooked and must be reserved far in advance, which makes it difficult to coincide with lesson plans. Also my mentor indicated that she gave up with the overhead since she didn’t want to get used to using it one year, have overheads etc. and then not be able to use them again for three years.