As I have said before, I feel very confident in interacting with staff within the building. It is nice to have such a small school where I get to see everyone on a regular basis. Becca and I have organized an outing for the student teachers on Friday to the lowbrow where we get to network together and bounce ideas off one another after a long week.
My interactions with my cooperating teacher have become more difficult this week. I get the feeling that she wants me to yell when students aren't listening and demand their attention, where I am trying to lower my volume so that they will listen. I'm worried that she doesn't trust me to get back control of the situation and so she will interrupt in an attempt to help me. I also know that she is a big gossiper and hope that she isn't gossiping about me the way she does other staff in the building. Otherwise I feel very comfortable in the building and with the staff.
Hmmmm . . . It's not unusual for cooperating teachers and student teachers to have different management styles. Having said that, the fact that it's a common tension doesn't make it easier to handle. Does Ms. Perez raise her voice as a form of classroom management? How do the kids react? If the tone/volume of your voice isn't working to get kids' attention or bring a situation under control, but you don't want to raise your voice, what are your options?
ReplyDeleteLet's talk tomorrow when I visit, ok? I'll check in with Ms. Perez, too, to see what she's thinking. Sometimes having an "outsider" around helps the communication.