Teacher Days

As the days go by, the more comfortable I am beginning to feel in the classroom. Today marked my first observation by a University supervisor. It also marked my first time teaching a Socratic seminar in a high school setting. A Socratic seminar is one that is mainly student led, where they ask and respond to one another. In order to prepare for the observation third period, I was allowed to teach first period. Teaching the seminar was an interesting experience. With each class I learned new questions, and new ways to guide the students in a certain direction, while still allowing them to have their opinions on the text. Overall, today (Thursday) I was allowed to teach four of the six class periods, the most I have taught in one day thus far.

With that update in place, I would like to dedicate the remainder of this post to describing the high school in more detail. Teaching in Florida, although similar in some ways, is very different from that of Ohio schools. The high school itself is comprised of seven buildings. Within each building is a different subject, or area of the school. For instance, one building is dedicated to administration, another the library, and another the gym. The only inside hallways are those for individual subjects. To get to each indoor hallway of classrooms, the students walk outdoors. The school itself has the feeling of a small campus. There are gates surrounding the entrance, and the buildings form themselves around a stone patio area. It allows the students a safe environment with the freedom of moving around and enjoying the outdoors.

Another interesting difference is learning about the programs, as well as tests, within the district. One program that my mentor teacher is a part of is entitled AVID. This is a program that is designed for students who are "at risk" or on the edge of attending college. These students have specific AVID classes designed to help them with study skills, as well as extra tutoring in areas needed. Due to the fact that many of my students are AVID, I am still learning about the program on a daily basis.

The second program that is different from Ohio schools is the International Baccalaureate, or IB program. In the English department, IB classes are supposed to be the second highest in degree of difficulty. From what I have learned on the program thus far, it is designed as a cross curricular program. This means to incorporate sciences, histories, and math into an English curriculum. There are specific goals that this program must follow, but overall it is a program designed to challenge students into a well rounded individual.

Thus far, these programs are the only major difference from Ohio to Florida schools. I am hoping to study and gather more information on these programs and how they affect the intellectual and personal development of the students. With only four weeks left in my stay in Florida, it may be a bit challenging, but it is still important to better understand the school district in which I'm in.