my first lesson

Stimulating and fun despite obstacles!  Often I feel like I'm on a game show like Dancing with the Stars, and I really do feel like I'm improving every week (THANK YOU VERY MUCH).

A Recap
As the title suggests, I've officially worn my teacher hat.  Based on performance, though, I am a whole season (at least) from gaining my badge.  That's okay though.  This is a learning experience. 

I had my largest problems dealing with classroom management.  My first class was co-taught, so no problema there.  My second class was left entirely up to me and faced with this, I was able to begin the class with an okay "hot seat" that I probably reigned in to quickly for fear of loss of control.  We read aloud the story "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury.  Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared with intermittent reading questions to grab students' attention (I didn't know I would be teaching the full lesson today).  Our energy level decreased exponentially as the class progressed throughout the story.  I found some students apprehensive with me, and lost at moments throughout the reading.  We used a graphic organizer throughout to generate mood (which we previewed with examples beforehand). 

My last class before lunch was  real challenge.  The hot seat failed to generate much discussion and when it was time to read the story, the class's enthusiasm and focus continued to deteriorate.  One student was particulary unruly causing a distraction throughout the lesson.  Set on my course, I feared abandoning the plan altogether, which would have been a much wiser choice.  I'll remember this next time.