Field Clinical Case Study: A Teacher's Life

For my field clinicals this semester I was assigned to Maclay School, a private school in Tallahassee, Fl. At first I was very hesitant but as my first day drew near I became more confident about my assignment. I heard it was a rich school and was perplexed about why I had been assigned to that school. My professor had requested that her LIT 3333 students be placed at an ESOL school not a private college preparatory school. On Monday, my first day, I dressed very professionally in black slacks, a button down blouse and heels. Mr. Beamer, the Dean of Maclay Middle and High, had called me the previous Friday and told me I would be observing a seventh grade language arts class and I was very excited. When I arrived I checked in at the front desk and found Mr. Beamer. We exchanged formalities and then he led me to Mrs. Engelbrecht's class. She is a 15 year veteran teacher with a wonderful personality. Although I didn't ask her age she looks to be in her 50's. She had a bright smile and looked very relaxed ina denim shirt and jeans.
On that day she was adminstering a test and so at her desk, her and I talked quietly about the teaching profession and my goals in life while the students tested. She was very personable and warm but I could tell her students feared her. She advised that I maintain a distance from my students when I become a teacher because it is important for the respect to be there at all times. She said that when teachers become friends with their students there is little respect and the classroom management is out the window. After the test was done Mrs. Engel spent the last 10 minutes of class reviewing vocabulary. After her class was dismissed she confided that she never intended on becoming a teacher but now that she is one she can't imagine doing anything else. She told me that there are many perks to teaching in a private school but the downsides are many. The biggest downside is parent over-involvement. Since the parents pay a very high tuition at Maclay they are very pushy and can sometimes be a nuisance. But overall Mrs. Engel is a happy camper at Maclay.
On my second day of observations I was placed in Mrs. Braden's first grade class. This was an unexpected change for me but an intriguing one nonetheless. Mrs. Braden is originally from Texas but relocated to Tallahassee ten years ago. She is in her mid-50's, a pastor's wife and mother of two grown children. Her class is filled with owls (her favorite) and decorated very nicely. She, Like Mrs. Engel, raves about the resources at Maclay. She has been a teacher for 30 years and half of that time was spent in the public school system. She shared some horror stories with me about having to have class in a portable with no board and just a table and chairs and other sad things that occur in public school all over the country. Eventhough she's has some horrible experiences in the public school system she says they helped make her into the teacher she is today. Because she is used to not having lots of resources she learned all types of creative ways to teach lessons and engage her rambunctious 5 and 6 year olds.
On the third day I revisited Mrs. Engel and on that day she was teaching a lesson on diageramming. The students really loved the lesson and were eager to share their own diagrams. From these teachers I learned that if you love what you do your students will love it too. Engel and Braden were the perfect teachers to observe. Eventhough their teaching styles and grade levels were different they engaged their students with enriching and stimulating activities and displayed thorough knowledge of their content area. There were no dull and awkward moments and when students misbehaved, and there were a few, they executed discipline with expert skill. I hope that if I do decide to teach I will find my nitch like these two ladies found theirs