My First Impressions of the School and Classroom

My first day at Lake Stevens High School was incredibly positive. Even though I was unaware of who I'd be working with, much less the classes I'd be partaking in, the office staff was very welcoming while I waited to speak with the school's Principal.Once I had the chance to meet Principal Collins this morning, he filled me in with his plans for my visit.
Principal Collins, as well as the entire faculty and staff, were having a rough day today due to district-wide budget cuts, but that did not stop anyone from allowing me to enter their homey environment.
Principal Collins was so nice and personable, and I was quite surprised when he offered to take me on a tour of the school himself. The school environment was somewhat similar to my own, with many students scattered throughout the commons area and the hallways before class, but what I enjoyed seeing the most was that Mr. Collins personally knew and wished a good morning to just about every student! Students made sure to open doors for the principal and myself, and were very polite. We went to the counselors' office where I received a LSHS Staff Badge with my photo on it (so that I wouldn't blend in with the rest of the student body) and then went off to meet Kati Tilley, the teacher that will be working with me the most during the next few weeks.

The moment I entered the classroom I was introduced to her 1st period class, English 10, which is designed for sophomore students who did not take the 9th grade English pre-AP class at the mid-high school the previous year. Mrs. Tilley teaches a variety of class subjects, part of an even wider variety of classes available for LSHS students. Rather than being placed in grade-specific classes each year, (10th, 11th, and 12th grade level or AP English,) students are given the opportunity to choose two English electives every year. Lake Stevens HS offers creative writing, grammar, exposition and composition, as well as a variety of literature courses including American, British, World, and Shakespearean lit. I look forward to witnessing more the pros and cons of this system throughout my stay at LSHS.

Mrs. Tilley’s classroom set-up is pretty casual and students seem to have a voice in what goes on inside during class time. Mrs. Tilley, however, keeps the authority throughout each period. For example, her Advanced Creative Writing course had the chance to compose a literary journal titled The Valkyrie this year, in which they selected the works, edited, and fundraised for the journal’s expenses. Her students know, though, do not take advantage of their liberties and know when it’s time to settle down. Only once today did Mrs. Tilley have to count down to get her students attention throughout the entire day.

I look forward to working with Mrs. Tilley, as well as other members of Lake Stevens High School’s English department, during the next three weeks. My first impressions of both the classroom and the school were great, and I cannot wait to get started in this amazing hands-on opportunity.

Thank you, Lake Stevens High School students and staff for the wonderful Viking welcome!