Early Impressions in the Field

I have been working at York Suburban High School and I am extremely pleased to say that it has been a blast. While I have not had the chance to really get involved in the classroom yet, the observation days I have had have been extremely valuable. The first day I observed my coop, however, in an effort to allow me to see multiple teaching styles, she has had me observe different English classrooms and different levels the past two days. Each teacher brings something unique to the classroom and I've been able to really get a feel for who I want to be as a teacher, which has been so fascinating. For instance, one of the teachers in the English department is very lenient with her discipline and the classroom is often somewhat chaotic; that said, she has had some of the most innovative means of interacting with the students, such as asking controversial questions and having the students debate. I really, really like the activities that she has had her students doing. Meanwhile, another teacher is a bit more traditional, but maintains a better hold over her classroom of ninth graders (the aforementioned teacher had tenth graders). She is not overly strict, but has a sort of sharp, sarcastic wit that the students seem to respond well to. It's a good balance, in my opinion.

I feel that all of the teachers at YSHS are really, really strong teachers. I have to say that of all that I have observed so far, they are one of the strongest departments I've seen at a high school. They are all on the same page in terms of how they choose to teach writing (the Jane Schaffer model) and they maintain a consistency across the entire district. Such unity in the apartment in something I have not necessarily witnessed in other schools I have seen.

In terms of technology, YSHS recently received a grant that paid for a ton of new tech to be implemented in the classroom. Nearly every English room has a Smartboard and they have at least two or three laptop carts to share across the department. Nearly all of the work that students do in regards to their research papers and writing assignments is done via Google Docs so that teachers can collaborate instantly. The students and teachers are all very well-versed with the tech and have totally embraced it. Additionally, a recent survey has been filled out by teachers to determine if they will allow students to use smart phones in the classroom. Some teachers are hesitant while others embrace it with open arms. I have been so impressed with the staff at YSHS it's really difficult to put into words. I would go as far as to say that YSHS is exactly the sort of school that I would love to work at. I'll be keeping my eye on them for any job openings :)