The Visitation of the Gods

The twenty-five stories that are contained in the book, My First Year As A Teacher, are about real teachers and their experiences during the first year of teaching. Each story is different. Some are about memorable students while other stories are about some of the hardships that are encountered as a novice teacher. The diverse sampling of stories in this book gives insight of what kind of problems one might encounter as a teacher, yet they also describe how rewarding the profession can be. I found it rather difficult to choose only ten stories as my favorite but after much consideration and rereading I decided on the following stories because in many ways I could relate to the students as well as the teachers that are given life in these stories.

I found this job very rewarding, and my excitement for teaching grew. After that, I volunteered to work as a teacher’s assistant for Mrs. Fast, the fifth grade teacher at my school. The experience I had in Mrs. Fast’s classroom had a big impact on me. Mrs. Fast was able to connect to her students, and gave the students every opportunity to succeed. As I worked in her classroom, I began to see what a teacher truly does: and that is to, not only teach, but to also instill a desire to learn in

Even though I volunteered in different schools, I never had the opportunity to ask about the real feelings of a teacher. During the interview, I learned that there is more than just teaching in becoming a teacher. This is because she told me how one of her hesitation on becoming a teacher is the time one dedicates for the job. She told me that when one is teacher, one must prepare lesson plans, come to school early to prepare for the day, and even stay longer to grade papers. She said that her typical day starts at 7:30 am to prepare materials and school instruction starts from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm. Then, even though the class ends already, she needs to create lesson plans for the entire week. She said that all these things are part of a teacher’s job, but they do not get paid to do these things. Therefore, I learned that being a teacher is not easy because there are a lot of extra responsibilities beyond the job description and that being a teacher extend beyond the classroom. Additionally, her answer made me reflect on whether I want a job, where I have to work more than the “work hours.” However, despite this workload, what amazes me was when she said that if she could go back, she would still choose to be a teacher because of her passion to make a difference in the lives of the

“The bunk house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the walls were eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk.”

Throughout The Iliad, Homer offers us a glimpse into the lifestyles of the ancient Greeks and their beliefs. They are a very spiritual and in many ways superstitious people. The main thing to note throughout The Iliad is the interaction between the gods and the humans. Any way one looks at the situation, they can immediately see that humans are mere pawns to the gods in their game of chess. The success and failures of the humans depends on what god would be helping which group and at what particular time. This essay will explain the three main reasons the gods in The Iliad intervened with humans: Firstly, gods who act on their own personal motives, secondly, gods who act as favors to other gods, and finally gods who act as favors to

An American psychiatrist by the name of William Glasser once stated, “When you study great teachers…you will learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style.” Teachers are a huge part of an individual’s life. From the time a person enters into preschool until the complete cessation of their educational career, the teachers and professors along the way each influence that student’s perspective and feeling towards the particular subject they taught. With daily interactions, teachers become a part of a student’s microsystem. They are often times the only other constant adult figure in their student’s life apart from the caregiver. Whether it is acknowledged or not, the importance of teacher cannot be overstated. Unfortunately,

I consider Mrs. S to be coordinated. She has her materials well labeled and organized throughout her classroom. Her desk area also appears organized. Mrs. S shared with me that she begins her school day one hour before the students arrived. This schedule allows her to plan for the day ahead. Mrs. S‘s classroom is large but functional. She has a total of 30 students in her class. The seating arrangement consists of 6 sets of grouping desks as Mrs. S has 6 groups of 5 students to an area. This set up offers several benefits including encouraging collective learning,

They require a variety of supports, such as homework assistance, as they progress through the school curriculum. A large number of students in the classroom are Polish and they come from upper class families. The physical arrangement of the room is similar to a traditional classroom, but instead of single desks she uses rows to foster collaboration between students. For instance, the teacher has her desk to the right of the room with two steps of separation from the students. There are six rows in total containing three seats in each row. The space allows the teacher to walk freely throughout the classroom and give each student individualized attention. In addition, the general education teacher makes sure to label folders, books and testing material with student names. There are two additional assistant teachers in the classroom including myself. We provide assistance to the general education teacher on different days, but work collaboratively when

On the second day, she reviewed talking and movement procedures and demonstrated to the students. She explained her expectations and noise level, which

After hearing Kristina’s background of her road to becoming a teacher, I began to ask her questions about her teaching experience. The first question that I asked Kristina was what influenced her decision to become a teacher? Kristina’s response to this question connected greatly to my own influences. She had known that she wanted to teach from about second grade. Kristina nannied and babysat for multiple kids when she was younger. The experience she had with watching kids had an impact on what she wanted to do in her life. Having the opportunity to relate to children

On the first day I observed in the classroom, I immediately saw that Mrs. Haughn plans in advance. She stays organized by having a scheduled routine on the board for the students to be aware of the following topic being taught or reviewed. During the second day I observed, she was planning in advance by reminding the students there was going to be a test the following day. After informing the students, they reviewed for the test to have the information fresh in their minds.

“The Titans are an immensely powerful race called the Pantheon”(Knaak). They have been around since the beginning of the Warcraft Universe. No one knows how the Universe was created all they know is that it exists. They believe in all different ways like a magical being of supernatural powers created this universe and himself just cause he can. Others think the universe was created in an explosion of tiny particles and was formed over millions of years.

The Greek gods and goddess carry many attributes, most human. They are very much like humans in the way that they have weaknesses and strengths. Even though the gods display their characteristics much more drastically than humans do, the similarities are obvious. In Rosenberg and Baker’s book, the Greek gods have many human characteristics such as vengeance, jealously, and love.

This past semesters has been an eye opening experience that has changed my views on teacher. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a fourth grade teacher. However after being placed in a second grade classroom my views have changed. I liked the idea of teaching fourth grade because my fourth grade teacher was my inspiration in life. When I was in Ms. Petro’s class I enjoyed being able to watch the students progress over time. Being able to see the drastic improvements in little children is very rewarding and that is why I want to continue to teach lower grades. I have learned that being a teacher requires a special someone, a person who knows that sometimes you will have to deal with tough situations leaving you exhausted and feeling like you are not able to help more. But at the same time, being a teacher allows one to be a visionary for the world and those who surround you.

As children, we absorb information and learn from experiences that mold us into who we are. Many individuals impact a child’s life, but the most powerful and influential role lies in a devoted teacher, a teacher provides growth to students as a gardener would to a garden of flowers. Each child can bloom into a thriving flower so long as you water their garden with optimism, love, patience, and guidance. Throughout my educational experiences I was lucky enough to have educators who poured their knowledge and optimism into me, and now I would like to reciprocate that back to students who are in the position I was once in. Balancing life and school is hard enough for a student, but a powerful and caring teacher can steer you in the right direction. In this autobiography you will read about my educational background, experiences that influenced my decision to become a teacher, and what I believe the role of a teacher should be in a student’s life.