My first teaching assignment was as an Accelerated Math Teacher. I had two sections of sixth grade Math, two sections of seventh grade Math, and one section of eighth grade Math. All of the students I taught either did not pass the TAKS test or they barely passed. I definitely had my work cut out for me.
I did not receive much help that year. I was assigned a mentor who was an experienced Math teacher, but I only had one conversation, if you could call it that, with her the entire school year. I dedicated a lot of my time to finding engaging lessons and projects for my students. I did not have the best classroom management at the time, but my students definitely learned what they needed to.
With the help of my class and the help of their core Math teachers, many of my students passed the TAKS Math assessment that year. I sometimes run into my former students from my first year. All of them tell me how much they enjoyed my class and that I was their favorite teacher. I guess I did something right.
My Life In Education… 