I consider the
volunteering to be not only rewarding, but also an eye-opener. I was able to
collect a lot of information from the teacher I worked with; unfortunately, most
of it was not encouraging. Overall, I
feel that this experience has been a very discouraging one. I enjoy being able to help out the teacher
and the students. She is very thankful
to have me there; and, I really appreciate her honesty. It makes me feel great when a student asks for
my help; it feels wonderful to praise them for doing a good job, and have them
smile back at me. And, to be able to
assist them and help them through a lesson or a question is rewarding. But, to spend every day in this environment
and have so many students under-achieve is very disheartening. Even the teacher has told me that teaching at
this school, in this environment, has not been the rewarding experience that
one imagines teaching will be. There are
not many job openings for teachers in Rhode Island; many of the openings are in
this urban setting, and honestly, at this point in my life, I wouldn’t teach in
that environment. The only reason I can
make that choice is because I am certified and employed in another profession. So, I continue to remain uncertain of my
future in this program.
Very authentic healthy questioning, Toni! Teaching is hard. Public school teaching is being a social justice activist in many ways. Does not teacher blaming seem like a heartbreaking injustice?
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