I got to teach my first lesson and it was horrific. I am in a math classroom and I did the cheerio division to demonstrate long division visually by pairing cheerios into equal groups, and then showing students the lattice and "garage" method of division. The classroom has 9 students on IEP's. The entire class in addition to the IEP's had been grouped as "low level". So I got to Twenhofel at 7:20am and realized I had forgotten the cheerios at home. I ran home and made it back and was only a couple minutes late and jumped into my lesson. (I had called my teacher to let her know). I was so disoriented from the morning that I was scatter brained and as I taught was adjusting the material. The lesson started off ok, and the students seemed to understand the content when I had the problems on the board and they had to write their answer on their individual white board and hold it up...Then they got their homework. The students all had their hands raised and just didn't understand the content. It was so awlful. Then I got there this tuesday to teach the class again, and the students started not raising their hands to answer but just called out answers, and they began talking the whole time. The real teacher and resource teacher was absent and it was just me. I was struggling. I stayed calm and did not scream but I did talk to them and told them they were being disrespectful and that this was their last warning - the choice to do the work or not was their's. It worked and the students got focused and settled and worked. I just feel like my teacher won't let me take control and I wish it was my classroom that I could run my way. The odd thing is, my lesson and original style didn't work on the first class, but it worked for the second class I taught. But the second class I taught it to is considered an "average" class, and they ate it up - they loved it. They understood the content, had fun, wanted to do more, I challenged them and adjusted the material. It was awesome. And when I was leaving the teacher was having a sub the next day, and one kid asked if I could sub. That was the best reward I think I've ever gotten at school...