Is it really exam time?

As this semester quickly approaches an end, reality starts to settle. I am one exam week away from holding the title of "Meredith College Senior." Senior year contains many memorable events in any college student's life, and for future educators, this long-awaited year contains the highly anticipated student teaching semester. Since freshman year, my education friends and I have discussed how excited we would be when we were about to student teach, and we would often count down the semesters until the time arrived... now, it is actually here. Student teaching is the Mount Everest of the track to receiving a license, so, am I really ready to conquer Everest?

My professors have well-equipped me with the knowledge I will need to be pedagogically sound, while putting theories to practice. The field of education has endless possibilities, and I am eager to use the many strategies I have been learning about for two years. Although I have completed the reading and studying
needed to successfully complete these courses, I will not fully understand these concepts until I'm in front of the class.

It is hard to grasp the idea that I will be student teaching next semester; the most important semester of my college career is only four months away. I do not mean to sound dramatic, but it is a little anxiety-inducing, but still extremely exciting, that I will soon be in front of the class. I do know that the fall will be one of the best learning experiences I will ever encounter; I am excited to see what next year brings and discovering more ways to teach effectively.

The Writing Workshop... where to begin?

We recently read Nancie Atwell's In the MIddle: Writing, Reading, and Learning with Adolescents in our methods course. The writing workshop, as described by Atwell, produces affective writers and improves students' writing abilities. She works one-on-one with each student, holding conferences to ensure each step of the writing process is taking place. Looking back on my middle school and high school years, I cannot remember a teacher who went through each step of the writing process and held conferences with each student. This may take much time, but when used wisely, much can be accomplished using this writing workshop model.
Atwell's model is extremely affective in her classroom, but I am nervous of where to begin this process in my future classroom. The closer I get to student teaching, the more anxious I get about classroom organization, an essential element in the writing workshop and for a positive classroom environment. I plan on keeping the class as organized as possible to create a positive learning place. This will take time and effort, but I am sure I can effectively organize the class so that students can become better readers and writers.