"If your eyes are the window to your soul, then your lunch-line is the window to your classroom."
-a quote from a TEAM teacher, Mr. Heit
The student will produce lists of synonyms and antonyms
The teacher will walk the students to lunch without incident
My first objective as a REAL teacher. When I was planning, I realized that I could talk all day. My TEAM teacher actually told me, "You cannot talk all day." I did not expect them to be such a rowdy bunch, but my expectations were baseless. They were a rowdy bunch. I was nervous and visibly shaking as I gave directions and handed out papers. For my first lesson, I was prepared. The model lessons allowed me to fix and make changes before implementing it for students. No preparation in the world makes the first time easy, smooth, or perfect. As the teacher, I felt that everything that could go wrong, did. I had typos on my power-point. My directions were not clear. I ran out of time. I gave consequences to some, and none to others.
I taught a lunch period. My real goal that day was to walk to the lunch room like people, and not wild animals. We managed to do that (after a few tries, and some consequences). I soon realized that my REAL objective for that day was to effectively manage them, set a precedent with them, and show them that I am the boss of my classroom. And in the process, they learned some synonym and antonym lists.
My team teacher has made some really great suggestions for my improvement. I know that I need to follow through on consequences. I also know that I have to use proximity as an advantage for classroom management.
Did they learn synonyms and antonyms? Maybe. Did they go to and from lunch like civilized people? Why yes, yes they did!
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