Final Reflection: Reality Check

My final week at La Casa de Don Pedro and Ridge was, at times, a preview to some of the challenges I will experience while teaching in the Newark Public Schools. As of now, all of my teacher training experiences have involved me taking courses, observing, helping out, and often having fun with students. Even on those occasions where I have taught lessons, I was able to walk out the door and say my goodbyes without having any real responsibility for all the children's subsequent learning or their well being. The last several days of the program, however, have given me some insight on what people actually mean when they refer to teaching as "hard work."

On Tuesday, I went with my mentor teacher and twenty-one students from Ridge to Sterling Mill. I arrived at the school at 9:15 a.m., as my mentor and I had discussed. When I got there, I could immediately tell something was wrong. One of the teachers from the program who was not going on the trip was there. I could tell she had rushed over to the school without being able to get ready, and I heard her say to my mentor teacher, "No problem. I'll see you this afternoon." When I walked over to where my mentor teacher was sitting on the front steps, I could see she had already had a tough morning. Students without permission slips were at the school planning to attend the trip, and a couple of students had handed in permission slips but were not at school. I asked her if everything was all right, and she told me that a parent had called downtown to report that there was no one at the school at 8:30 a.m. when he attempted to drop his daughter off for the trip. The permission slip included the time that students should arrive at school, and the teacher verbally reminded students what time we would be leaving. It was clear that there are times when the moment you arrive at school, problem after problem occurs, and you have to go into action to deal with everything.

La Casa has had to cancel a few trips because of the persistent rain over the last week or so. Several children have been disappointed because they could not go on their trips, and this often manifested as temper tantrums, the silent treatment, and apathetic behavior toward everything. I realized that teachers really have to have a toolbox of activities, games, and engaging lessons that they can quickly transition to in times like this. As I noted before, even in a camp setting where the main focus is fun, organization and preparation are still key.

One day last week when a gust of wind came out of nowhere at Ride, two of our canopies were knocked over and are now unusable. Now those coveted areas of shade in front of the school are gone, and the open area on the side of the school has been closed off for the majority of the last week or so because of the heat. Having all the students congregated in the area in front of the school with limited space to move and play has caused several arguments and accidents.

All the issues I witnessed and disagreements I stepped in to prevent/stop have not changed any of my views, they have just given me first-hand experience with a broader picture of the day-to-day ups and downs of being a teacher. I actually feel very comfortable at Ridge, and am excited I will be there in the fall. I have had the opportunity to interact with several students and get to know a few staff members. I have seen kids during moments of bliss and anger, and I look forward to seeing those smiling faces in September when school starts. I've also been really fortunate to have time with my mentor teacher. I have seen how dedicated she is to the students, and the time, effort, and money she gives to enrich their experiences.

I believe this summer program has played an important role in my preparation as a teacher. Although there were days when I was tired and felt overwhelmed by the heat, this time will be part of the story I will tell when I explain how I came to be a teacher in Newark.