First week of practice teaching

My first week of practice teaching is done! One more to go. It's been quite fun. I love teaching. And I'm at the school, in the classroom, of the teacher who inspired me to take Montessori training in the first place, because of how amazing she was as a teacher. Her classroom management, the level of discipline she expects and instills, with love, is hard to believe. She's not tyrannical at all, but she has sky-high expectations for the students, and she doesn't compromise on anything. How she manages that... I want to learn. But she has the other skills to back it up: she's good at training other teachers and assistants, she knows how to structure classrooms and rules to create the atmosphere she wants, and she even teaches and instills positive values in the students, coaching them as complete humans, concerned not just for academics but all areas of their personality.

The most striking thing is how peaceful the classroom is. And how advanced the students are. Many (most?) are a grade level or two above where their age would indicate. They work with true, serious diligence. But they love it. They are curious, they love to be taught new things. Whatever school they go on to, they do well at. Many end up at the very top of their class, because the expectations they're held to here, the work ethic, is several steps above anything at other schools. But they have fun too. Last Friday was pajama day, and they got to read (which they love) and play games in the afternoon. Nobody is pushed beyond their limit, it's very carefully calculated, to be beyond their comfort zone, but within their capability. She keeps a careful eye and doesn't allow anyone to coast. But she also loves and respects them, and they know it. They are not afraid of her, they love to come to school. She often has a serious voice when they are doing something wrong, but she's never actually angry.

She runs a top notch elementary classroom, and she runs the school, and she never seems stressed out. The class functions well enough that she can get work done in the classroom. And the class is well behaved enough that she's not exhausted at the end of the day. If anything, that's the biggest miracle of all, since I've never taught anywhere or seen anywhere that felt like I wouldn't be exhausted at the end of the day. I'm not sure I would have believed it was possible, if I hadn't seen her class.

I recently picked up a magazine (a special edition of the harvard business review, on learning) that had an article about how to learn experts skills, and I'd like to apply that to her and her skills. I want to absorb them all like a sponge. Unfortunately, that's not what my assignment is about so I have to put that on the back burner, but it's been a fantasy of mine to have her as a mentor, since I met her. She's been willing to help me via telephone, but I've been so busy and exhausted with my job I haven't found much time to reach out, and there is something added to actually getting to be there, to observe and analyze first hand, that you can't get from a phone call.

In any case, I'm here now and it's great. It's much more fun than just observing, which is what I did last year.

OK, that's all for this week!