This is my introductory post.
This is where I’m supposed to
show my readers how bubbly and organized and how completely and utterly
prepared I am to step into my own classroom (I'm not.). But I did graduate from one of the best
education universities in my state last December after an amazing experience
student teaching. I
love challenging them to analyze motivations and think historically. I learned that I thrive in the classroom with my students and that building community and relationships are things that I am good at-- things I should continue to prioritize in my classroom. But I also learned that
I need to work on a LOT of things.
1.
There are
a lot of things I still don’t know about history. I can’t recite
every little detail about The Roanoke colony or each pharaoh that ever ruled in
Egypt. And I learned that students will
be able to sense that and then they will ask you
about something minute about that subject that doesn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things
and you will research ALL of those pesky Egyptian pharaohs only to get asked
about some other random factoid that you are also not prepared to teach. It's a gift they have.
2.
It is
okay to tell your students that you’re not sure about something. As soon as
you try to BS your way to an answer, one of your brilliant kids will pipe up.
And that, my friends, is so incredibly awful in all the ways. You lose
credibility in front of your students and you feel like a failure the rest of
the week. Trust me on this, just be honest with them. Your students will respect
you so much more.
3.
Make sure
you’re in tune with your needs as much as your students’ needs. I found
myself at school from 6:30am to about 5pm every day (this is in the off season
when I’m not coaching) trying to make my presentations better, trying to make
sure I felt prepared to take their questions (I’m hoping I eventually get this
part), and trying to keep up with my student teaching portfolio as well. I
actually got points taken off of one of my observed lessons because my
cooperating teacher (who I LOVE) let
it slip that I was working harder than she had seen anyone work in the
department. I’m still bitter, but I digress…
Those were my big three that I knew I had to have a plan for
going into my future position. I knew I wanted to end up at the school I did my
student teaching. So when I graduated in December, I automatically applied to
become a substitute in the county. I began to lean toward teaching high school
students instead of middle school and took a job coaching girls’ JV softball at
that school. I was able to book a job almost every day from January to June. I
got to know a lot of the faculty members and most of the department in which I wanted to work. I was very lucky.
And then I got the call from the principal herself… and
there begins my journey into my first year as a teacher. J
So, all my lovely readers, how was your student teaching experience? What did you feel most prepared to handle? What did you feel a little lost in?
Let me know in the comments below!
Wishing everyone a relaxing summer!
Zilla
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