JOANNE
PAYLING
Diary #3
"Buenos Dias," Ms. Payling Said
The reality of teaching is settling in. There aren't enough hours in the day. Some students don't study or turn assignments in. Teaching with a cold/allergies/sinus headache is difficult, but possible. There are many students with many types of special needs/circumstances. Teaching the way one was taught (i.e., Roland Tharp's Cemetery Model) is very easy. . . . But are the students learning anything? And so my mind is filled with the teacher's world. I haven't yet learned how to shut it down for the much needed respite and recharging. Waking up at 6 a.m. and going straight to my computer to type in a new idea or to look something up, or to add something I forgot the night before is becoming the norm for me, one who traditionally loved to sleep as late as possible. Now I can't stay in bed past 7 a.m. even on weekends! With a week's teaching under my belt, I am already experiencing so many of the things that I knew intellectually. Nothing, of course, can adequately prepare one for the reality. One of my 6th graders doesn't speak or understand English. I spent the summer studying for my Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certification. According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing:"The purpose of the CLAD/BCLAD Examinations is to identify candidates for certification who have demonstrated the level of knowledge and skills required to teach LEP [limited-English-proficient] students effectively."
CLAD is quickly becoming a required extra certification in order to teach in California. I must complete the coursework for certification by April, or I will not be re-hired in my school district.
The realities of language immersion
The state and school districts of California are attempting to address the needs of our LEP students, and we teachers are attempting to prepare ourselves. Yet all those hours of summer studying and preparation are nothing next to the physical presence of a child in my classroom who doesn't have a clue what I am saying. Thankfully, there is another Spanish-speaking student in the class who has agreed to act as interpreter, yet beyond fairly cursory explanations, I know that this well-behaved, shy-with-a-mischievous-grin boy is lost in this class, a six-week introduction to study skills and character development. I am attempting to incorporate some of the techniques and skills I learned this summer for just this situation, yet the challenge is enormous. I am barely keeping my head above water in the daily and weekly planning for the mainstream. It is very easy to become frustrated and to feel incompetent.However, I expected frustration when I decided to become a teacher. I wasn't totally naïve concerning this profession. Once again, and always, I remind myself to focus on the kids. Kids Come First.
My 6th grader
may not learn much in the way of study skills in my class, but he will
see the character development of myself and his classmates as I model
an inclusive environment and greet him each morning with a "Buenos Dias."
When he replied with a "Good Morning, Ms. Payling" to me, the whole class
applauded. I was so proud of all of us!
