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Bob Gentilli, who teaches junior high social studies in Belleville, kept a journal in his first year of teaching. "Its main purpose is to help future educators gain insight into the world of teaching," he wrote in the introduction. He probably did not realize then just how insightful his observations would be as he discovered the rewards and pitfalls of becoming — and being — a teacher. This is the first in a series of excerpts. It covers his perspectives on teacher preparation and job hunting.
I write this journal for my use in later years as an educator, but its main purpose is to help future educators gain insight into the world of teaching. This journal is not exact — it reflects my own opinions, beliefs, values and experiences in life and my behavior and attitude in the classroom.
I have made many mistakes and would like to do some things over. Those mistakes will be obvious in this journal and hopefully you can learn from them. I also have done many things that I am very proud of.
As a new junior high teacher, I did not know what to expect. Every situation and every student in the classroom were unique. As a result of substitute teaching and one clinical, I did have some background in dealing with students this age, but I was not expecting what awaited me.
I have three sections of 7th-graders and two sections of 8th- graders. I have one prep period and one study hall. I also was hired as the high school girl's softball coach and signed up for assistant football coach. My school is in a rural setting in south-central Wisconsin. This diary began as an Action Research Project to help me assess what I was doing right and wrong in the classroom.
The journal starts out with notes from my student teaching and substitute teaching, followed by my perspectives on preparing for the job market. Next is my daily journal from Belleville Junior High. I end with a summary of strategies that helped me get through those tough days and kept me on track during my first year of teaching.
In looking back, I can see how important student teaching was in preparing me for the classroom. I also see how impractical college courses sometimes are in preparing you and me for teaching. For example, I remember taking a methods course that taught us how to prepare and implement strict lesson plans. But in the real classroom, I learned, you have to be flexible.
Thinking on your feet, going with the flow, finding creative solutions to problems — this is what makes up teaching!
The other part of the class taught us how to prepare tests — easy questions first, essays last, with a nice mix of questions in the middle. This is important, but these exams often don't develop higher-level thinking skills. I have chosen to give no multiple choice, true-false, or fill-in-the-blank tests because they are light on thinking and recall and heavy on guesswork.
My tests come in the shapes of:
I did not learn these teaching techniques in college. When you get in the classroom, you're going to have to do what works for you and your students. How do you know? Learn from some of the veteran teachers at your school. I try to observe two teachers a quarter during my prep hours.
Every one has his or her own style. Find one who matches your style, but also observe different teaching strategies with other teachers. Don't just stay in your content. I teach history and read a lot to the kids. So I sat in on an English class to find a better way to read to them.
There I was ready to substitute teach, and I was given no lesson plans. What the hell do I do? What do I know about physics? You've heard the horror stories, and they can be true. But subbing is not all that bad — if you are prepared and you maintain a sense of humor.
As a substitute teacher, you are stepping into a no-win situation. You will learn fast about discipline, innovation, various curriculum, and administration. You also will learn how helpful secretaries and custodial staff can be.
And you will learn whether you are cut out to be a teacher.
I found my job through these contacts. Since I had my resume ready to go, I took it personally to the high school office. Of course, the principal was not there, so I left it with the secretaries (I should have taken it to the superintendent). In the five days after dropping it off, I called the high school office five times, and went to the school three times. On my third trip, I was invited into the principal's office and was shown around the building in what amounted to an informal interview. I used tips I had picked up from a book about interviews:
Because I do not do as well in a formal setting, this informal meeting was to my advantage. I was called back for a second interview, and two days later I got the job!
Some tips:
Good luck and remember to do all you can do for others in your student teaching /substitution experiences.
Posted May 1996