Week 13- Stressful times...

     It's week thirteen! I can't believe how fast it's gone. I have noticed throughout the time that I've been teaching my mentor teacher is always working on other stuff that she is required to do. I am now wondering how these teachers teach and complete all the "extra" stuff?
     I know that ideally I want a classroom where students are not afraid to come up to me and ask questions, express concerns, etc. , but I'm also struggling with the idea that I need to help each student that asks questions but at any given time, I have five students following me around the classroom. What can I do to create a system where students get their questions answered but also allow me to freely move around the room to take care of the things that I need to take care of. For example, students are so caught up in asking questions (which is very good thing, don't get me wrong) that they don't realize that there are often times, especially in this class, where I am needed to handle/diffuse a behavioral situation within the classroom. Students are easily frustrated if I do not answer their question right then and there. Would it be possible to instead have students ask another student at their pod grouping before asking me or Mrs. Law.
     The 5th grade teachers also have professional learning communities every Wednesday during planning and every other Friday afternoon. I know teachers are under a lot of pressure with the switch to the Common Core, but I have questioned whether the students are going to be tested based upon the new Common Core that we are asked to use or from the previous standards. To my knowledge, they are still keeping the WesTest based upon the WV State Standards, which includes more topics than the Common Core requires. Because of this, the teachers are wondering whether to cover all the standards as they have before, or to go deeper with the Common Core Standards.
     Besides losing planning time for PLCs, teachers also lose planning time for IEPs, SATs, and other occurrences that happen on a daily basis. After being a part of the 5th grade team for 13 weeks, I now believe that teachers really don't have a planning period to discuss lessons and prepare at school. Instead, that is added responsibility on the teacher with little to no compensation. I also do not feel that students, myself include sometimes, realize how much effort teachers put into everything and how little we notice or take advantage/appreciate what they do.
     As the last couple weeks of my internship wind down, I want to know what I can do as a novice teacher to provide best practices to my students, but also to have routines and procedures in place that ensure appropriate scaffolding for all students and maximum participation from all students. I feel like in order to do this, I am going to need to continue my research and inquiry to see what works best with the group of students I have.