Summer School Reflection

As I reflect on my time in Holly Springs, I believe that my students and I have gained a great deal of knowledge and a lot more discipline.
Students: The summer began with a class of seven girls. A day later, six more arrived. The next day still more arrived. This continued until we reached our total of 22. This number seemed a bit high for a summer school class, but we made it work.
The students were surprisingly well behaved and I kept my foot on them for the entire first two weeks of summer school. After the first week, we began to have a better repair and learned to trust each other more. Several students did act out and phone calls were made. IÂ’ve probably saw more parents in the first two weeks than I saw during my whole first month of school. One eventually had to be expelled. All in all, I think they werenÂ’t a bad group at all.
They also really had a thirst for learning. I noticed that if you gave them anything remotely interesting, their eyes were glued to you from start to finish. They would often be almost jumping form their seats to answer a question. They even completed homework. Their ability level is much higher than my students so teaching them was much more fun.
Administration: The principals seemed very nice. I had a long conversation with Mr. Chase about the changes he would like to make to the school. He really wants to make a difference for the students. Ms. Gibson was lifesaver. Without, she and Joe, the school would not have been nearly as effective.
Building and Grounds: The building was probably the most well-kept school IÂ’ve ever seen. The cafeteria was clean. The bathrooms had tissue and there was no water on the floor. It is obvious that the staff and students take great pride in the building.
Worst Thing About Summer School: My biggest regret is that I donÂ’t feel that I was at my best. I began summer school already exhausted from the regular school year. I left work on Wednesday, only to drive to Oxford on Thursday. The precarious planning I did on the drive up were not nearly as good as my best lessons. The added pressure of deadlines for online classes, success stories and evaluations were gripping me tightly. I believe that I could have been more productive than I was with my students and mentees.
Best Thing About Summer School: I really enjoyed being with my MTC peers. I think that working with a group of people who all truly want the same thing of the students makes a big difference. We all held each other up when we were about to break. interactionsions really made a difference.
Thoughts for the future: The non-mentor second years should be given more responsibility. They have too much free time. Each classroom mentor needs at least 25 mins of break time when they completely turn over to first-year instruction. Joe will need an assistant (MTC person) if he is going to run the school and do observations each period. He is really doing the job of two people.
Final words: I really enjoyed my summer school experience. I had opportunitynity to make a difference in the lives of students and help new teachers in the process. Great idea.