Failing!

I'm at the stage where I am seriously questioning the decision to do this course - the question was asked when I signed up. Back then I thought that I mainly needed to update core knowledge, and a bit of classroom management practise. It should be like riding a bike - and I "knew" this because I had taught a class a few years ago (having been absent for a decade) and, though I had a bit of a wobbly start, I recovered and all the old intuitions came flooding back.

This time it is not happening. It is as if I've forgotten everything I ever learned about classroom management. I seem to have some nascent feel for the senior classes, but the further down the worse it is. I know nobody finds them easy but I'm talking about how someone looks when they have had no experience at all.

On the upside, my feedback so far is that everything else is fine to excellent. I seem to be able to get a rapport with students quickly and this has saved me from real catastrophe so far. I can produce a range of lesson strategies which keeps the seniors happy ... but I'm sluggish to respond to surprises and the year 9 class is............ nuff said. Curriculum, knowledge, etc is not a problem. This does not feel like much of an upside since classroom management is just about everything. It's upsetting because it used to be almost effortless.

I do not think I will be fit for teaching at the end of this practicum.

To come back to teaching I believe I need more extensive coaching in classroom management ... is there such a thing?