Newark Arts Shadowing

“The anxiety of first-time teachers is often largely the result of a conception of teaching based on traditional lectures, which places the teacher at the center of the classroom experience, the academic equivalent of grounds zero (Croteau 28-33).” Emailing between my teacher and I started off to a bad start. She said that she had no idea what I was talking about and sent an email back that was very unprofessional. I had assumed that emailing between the two would have been professional and the phraseology used turned me off to the idea of meeting with the teacher. Further emails told that the teacher was a first year teacher, this led to the assumption on the my part that he would learn very little and that he would not enjoy the visit.

“In short, the majority of disadvantaged students and families of color live in inner cities (Obidah 249).” Arriving at the school Eric and I went together since Eric was unable to get a teacher to shadow. I had assumed that the classroom would be over crowded, loud and out of control. The day started with a meeting of a group of teachers to discuss standardized testing prompts. The teachers were unprepared and confused over the rules and regulations that came with the prompt. My teacher; Mohawk, dress shirt, and sweater vest, though cheery to met them at the beginning of the day had know grown quiet and reserved. The diversity at the table was outstanding; white, black, and Hispanic teachers talked and discussed their task. All were very articulate, and some had tattoos hidden by their normally unrolled shirts.

My assumptions of the first year teacher fell apart when the unruly students came in to class and she demanded her authority. The class quieted and began their test. There was no taking advantage of the first year teacher, but she worked around their needs. Her second classes, freshmen, were hyper, loud, and out of control. She used a game to quiet them down; ad took control of the class through a democratic, yet educational environment. The assumptions of an out of control inexperienced teacher were true in some respects but overall she was a great orator and leader in the classroom.

“…recognizing that teaching behavior is a composite of beliefs about educational psychology, sociology, structure of knowledge, philosophy of education, and many other concepts (Williams 82).” There is more to teaching than the material; there is more to teaching than the experience of a professor. The assumptions made were thought out of not knowing what it was like for a first time teacher in the classroom. Through interviewing the teacher we learned that she takes home situations that happen with her students, that there is a bond that is made. You are their teacher, not their friend, but you can help them through difficult situations by being someone to trust and someone who will listen.