This quarter has proved to be more challenging than I thought it would be. We changed schools and entered into pre-established classroom ecosystems with their norms and inside jokes. The students were eager to get to know us, but they have proved more challenging than my 11th graders back at River City High School. This quarter has been more challenging with the increase of classes we are taking at Davis and the increased responsibility at Natomas Charter School, I feel like I have barely been able to keep up.

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What have I learned? This quarter, I feel like I have learned so much from my peers and my experiences inside the classroom. The readings we focused on were helpful, but what I learned most from them is my peers’ comments and personal anecdotes they added during our discussions. I guess this also answers the question of what helped make sense of the material. I know we often get off-topic in our discussions, but these conversations help me apply the readings to our real-world classrooms. I enjoyed our conversations on assessments and unit planning. It was interesting to see how some of my peers work through their lesson planning and working through different activities. Our 310 Seminar class complemented our 292 Methods class, whether directly through instruction or through chatting with each other. In my student teaching, I have learned what it is like to be in a classroom with a lot of engaged and chatty students. I have learned how to remain calm when food is spilled all over the floor or a student breaks a shelf after I have asked them to get down twice. One of the biggest takeaways from my experiences this quarter is that you are not always going to have a perfect lesson and you will more often than not have to adjust your plans because students are just moving really, really, really slow that day. 

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What questions remain? One of the biggest questions that remain is how to create a well-written Hunter lesson plan. This quarter has introduced us to a variety of ways to write an effective lesson plan, but I still feel lost in this area. This disorientation could have a lot to do with writing them last minute or after teaching the lesson. I always have an outline and key talking points for each lesson scribed on my clipboard, but I never really have had the time to create a lesson plan I am proud of. An area I wish I have some questions about is classroom management. I understand that it can be challenging to come into a new classroom and implement new routines and teaching methods, but one of my classes is a particularly difficult group of students. While my resident teacher has assisted a few times, she does not seem to have any strategies to help. I continue to work on creating positive relationships with students, but I would appreciate learning more about other classroom management techniques targeting 7th-9th grade.
 
Some general reactions I have had this quarter are there is not a lot of time in the day, also driving can make you really tired. My commute to school, Davis, and home has added to this challenging quarter. My time working at Natomas Charter with my resident teacher has been enjoyable and challenging. I enjoy my students and appreciate the freedom I have in creating my unit and lessons. However, there is very little collaboration and communication on my plans. It was funny to look back and read my reflection from the summer quarter. I am looking at my future teaching career in a very positive light. I enjoy seeing the spark in these 8th graders' eyes when they have an idea and their willingness to learn is often inspiring. This quarter has taught me about some of the more difficult aspects that come with this profession. I have learned a lot this quarter, but I am looking forward to returning to my students at River City High School in December.