A Teacher Resident Learning Every Day

[teacherresident]

Day One

Today was informative, interesting, and exhausting. Our discussions for today, and indeed the next week or so, focus on diversity, equity, and culturally responsive teaching. We talked today about our own biases, the lenses through which we see things, and how we identify ourselves and others. It was eye-opening, to realize just how the biases that I did not know I had (both the positive and negative) can affect how I teach, and how my students learn.

But I came home dead tired. I forgot just how draining it is being social all day, which is a huge aspect of our coursework. I can teach all day no problem, but talking to and with others about myself and how I feel about things is draining. So, homework, dinner, and then some downtime.

[teacherresident]

To Start

Hey all, I’m Grace, and this year I start a residency program designed to prepare me to teach in urban, high-need schools in my city. Actually, I start tomorrow (6/11), and I’m super excited. Also, nervous. We had to take a pre-test to determine our knowledge base before we take the certification exam later this year, and I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped. I’ve never taken any formal education courses, so I know that’s part of it. But, I am used to succeeding, and so it feels odd to do so poorly. Hopefully, with the help of my instructors, I’ll do better on the next one.

Feel free to ask me any questions, and hopefully I’ll keep up with this blog.