teaching

On Tuesday I think David did really well. He had to go through 3 separate building that he had not been in for a week or two. However, in a way, and I know is sounds bad and I don't mean for it to, but...I am glad he had some difficulties. I mean how can a teacher learn to teach if you have a perfect student?
I got to practice the fine line of allowing a student to explore while not letting his anxiety level get too high. I realized it can be difficult to judge the emotional state of your student, to know when to push them and when to help them. It was really interesting watching David explore the second floor of Dodd Hall. I feel like he finially had one of those moments Katie and I have experienced several times. He thought there was only 1 doorway, and when I told him there were actually 2 it was like his entire perception of the area was thrown off. I know how that feels, like Mickey says you try to change the environment so it will make sense with what you think you know. This happened to David again when I told him about the couches in the lounge area. I could tell his anxiety level was getting high. He seemed so discouraged, and maybe that is was caused him to get to the bathroom door and then turn around and walk away without realizing he was right where he needed to be. When I did not inform him that he had reached the bathroom and he walked away, it occurred to me that this might have been the first time I didn't tell him when he reached the bathroom. It was really interesting to ask him to tell me when he was there, and watch him turn away from the doors. I wondered how many times teachers just say "oh you're there" to their students, and their students were not sure if they had reached their destination yet. Because in a real independent situation there will not be a teacher there to tell you when you've reached the correct destination. I need to remember this when I am working with my future students. Over all I thought Tuesday was one of the most informative and helpful classes for me as the teacher.