Day 155 -- Mr. E
Mr. E is my co-teacher. We teach together two hours a day in what are called "Team-Taught Chemistry" classes. These are two of my hardest hours of the day. The students are very low academically and need a lot of extra help. Mr. E is a special education teacher and is there to help provide some of the support that these kids need to be successful in the class. Unfortunately, there tends to be a lot of behavior and management in these classes too, so Mr. E is nice to have around as another set of eyes. He's great moral support for me too. It's nice that we can tag team and have each other's backs when things start to get dicey.
When I first began at Western, I had not had experience teaching special education students before. I was stressed out and I had no idea how team teaching was actually supposed to work. Three years later, Mr. E and I have it down to a pretty smooth system. We know each other very well and try to use our strengths to our advantage in the classes. He is also my tether to reality. Sometimes, things can get pretty hairy, and I need some perspective. He is good at giving me his honest opinion on things, and is very encouraging to me when I get down on myself.
I recently learned that they are phasing out team-teaching next year. While I'm a bit relieved that I won't have two hours of my day devoted exclusively to teaming, I will miss the time that I would spend with my co-teacher. While I will still be interacting with him often regarding the performance of special education students incorporated into general education classrooms, we won't be teaching together. I will miss his sense of humor, his wisdom, and the way that he looked out for me.
Thank God for Mr. E!
Lord, thank you for Mr. E and for the way that our team-teaching situation has developed over the years. Thank you for the support he has shown me and for the way he has made a tough situation easier to handle. Help me to show him my appreciation in the last few days of teaching together. In your name I pray, Amen.
When I first began at Western, I had not had experience teaching special education students before. I was stressed out and I had no idea how team teaching was actually supposed to work. Three years later, Mr. E and I have it down to a pretty smooth system. We know each other very well and try to use our strengths to our advantage in the classes. He is also my tether to reality. Sometimes, things can get pretty hairy, and I need some perspective. He is good at giving me his honest opinion on things, and is very encouraging to me when I get down on myself.
I recently learned that they are phasing out team-teaching next year. While I'm a bit relieved that I won't have two hours of my day devoted exclusively to teaming, I will miss the time that I would spend with my co-teacher. While I will still be interacting with him often regarding the performance of special education students incorporated into general education classrooms, we won't be teaching together. I will miss his sense of humor, his wisdom, and the way that he looked out for me.
Thank God for Mr. E!
Lord, thank you for Mr. E and for the way that our team-teaching situation has developed over the years. Thank you for the support he has shown me and for the way he has made a tough situation easier to handle. Help me to show him my appreciation in the last few days of teaching together. In your name I pray, Amen.
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