I always use the Magnolia Bakery recipe for vanilla cupcakes, because I've had the opportunity to taste some from their NYC bakery and they are the best I've ever tasted.
What's even better is that they've compiled all the recipes they use at the bakery into a cookbook, and now even when I just bake them myself at home, you get fabulous cupcakes every time.
Hello... yum!
(Why does my icing never turn out like that?!)
Anyway, I digress. I'm sorry if I inadvertedly made you crave cupcakes.
What's been happening in my world? One word: STUDY
If it's not working on an assignment or project, it's lesson planning! Because finally, FINALLY, I am getting to go on prac (aka professional experience, aka Be a Student Teacher) and it is not without it's fair share of work.
I realise that I haven't mentioned much about my prac on here yet, so to summarise:
I have a Year 2 class with a male teacher who is also the assistant principal for the K-2 grades. He is very relaxed and laid back in his teaching style, and the kids seem to love him.
There are 22 kids in the class, which is pretty small by usual standards.
The ability range in this class alone is ASTOUNDING. We got told in our Prac lectures that it's possible to get a range of seven years in ability in a class, and I was all "Yeah right, seven years, as if!" but it's totally true. There is one girl in 2J who is reading and spelling words that a high school kid would struggle with (like germinate, scenery, rhubarb and chrysanthemum) and a boy who is below kindergarten level with his reading.
(I'll admit, I panicked when I first realised this, and thought "How in the world am I going to be able to develop lesson plans for this class?!")
I tried to fly under the radar at the school, being an ex-student and all, but a teacher (who I never even had as a class teacher) recognised me and before long it was "Oh, YOU'RE the ex-student!" everywhere I went.
All the prac students (there are 8 of us at this school) sit in one long line on the seats in the staffroom, like we are afraid to be separated. Except when one of us has to go on playground duty with our supervising teacher (who we basically shadow all day, except for recess and lunch time).
My class doesn't have the much lauded Interactive Whiteboard. The Year 2 class next door does. Bummer. Guess I'll have to teach old-school style.
I've memorised about 20 out of 22 names. Well, that was on Monday. We'll see how many I remember when I go back this coming Monday.
The first day, this past Monday, I mainly just observed and got to meet and chat with the kids. The coming Monday is when I will actually start acting as a student teacher, and I will teach a small group lesson (reading groups). The week after that, we have a week-long block, which is when we really get thrown into the deep end!
Our supervising teachers get PAID to take us on as prac students. I don't know why, but I was surprised by this. The principal of the school assured us that you "couldn't even buy a pair of shoes" with the amount of money the university pays them, so I guess it's more of a token thankyou present than anything else.
What else, what else? All my students seemed great, but it was only my first day, so we shall see. I'm just excited to finally be TEACHING! I've spent a lot of time in classrooms, but always as a volunteer or teacher's aide, and have never actually planned, taught and evaluated a lesson before. Or had myself as a teacher evaluated! That part's a little daunting, but our teachers have to give us lots of verbal feedback first before the start formally assessing us on paper, so that allows for any minor problems to be straightened out.
Mostly I'm just so EXCITED to be getting the opportunity to meet and teach these kids! It feels like a long time coming... I can't wait for next Monday!
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