Woohoo!

So, I haven't been posting much for the past few days. On Sunday, or maybe it was Monday, I had a flurry of posts: four, to be exact. I was working hard at avoiding real work. But now, I am back, with the news that I have one hurdle fewer to jump over (is that right? You jump over hurdles?) before getting my diploma. My teaching exhibition was this afternoon, and now it is over!!

The exhibition was basically a presentation of my year. I talked a little bit about my school, about my class, about the unit I designed to teach 7th graders to use exponents. I showed a short video clip of my class, which sparked a whole lot of interesting discussion around math and social interactions. Then, three people (a peer, a professor, and my supervisor) decided whether I should pass or not.

I had been really anxious about the exhibition. I'm just not that confident about my teaching; I know I have a lot of potential, but the reality right now is less than impressive. The learning that takes place in my classroom is limited by my failures as an authority figure, controller and protector of the learning environment; kids are constantly talking out of turn, getting off task, and generally being noisy and uninterested in math (and who can blame them). But the discussion at the exhibition turned out to be really good. It confirmed for me that I came to the right place to get my teaching credential. I really respect the way my colleagues and faculty approach education, from the most abstract elements of their philosophies to the most detailed of their stimulating observations and questions.