So normally I am strictly a photo blog, but I have something to blog about today. I've been student teaching the past 4 months and am finishing this Friday. A lot of emotions going on right now. I'm excited to be done with college! But also really sad to leave my great kids and coworkers. A chapter of my life is closing, and that can be really scary. Part of me doesn't want to move on because I'm comfortable right now, but that's not what life is about.
For our student teaching seminar, our department head asked us each to write a small essay on our student teaching experience. There was a lot I could write. So, if you want to know what's been going on in my life the past few months, here is my essay:
I was incredibly nervous my first day of student teaching, but I shouldn’t have been. The third grade students in Mrs. Dougherty’s class are some of the best kids I’ve ever known. Each one is unique and has his/her own little quirks. John* doesn’t like to smile, so he tucks his lower lip into his upper lip and tries his best not to smile, but occasionally I will get the pleasure of his smile. Jessica* can be very nosy and sassy, but is sweet and has the makings of a great leader. Tommy* loves to learn random facts and probably knows more about animals than anyone else I know. I could continue on for all my students, but I only have so much space to write.
It has been a joy to get to know these kids, and they’ve probably taught me just as much as I have taught them. One of the biggest things I’ve learned this semester is that the things children need the most are love and care. Students who were really shy and not confident in themselves have opened up and blossomed after taking the time to get to know them. Who cares if not as much was done that day? The attention and care that they receive might be the only that they get all day. It’s so important that your students know that you care about them. If they don’t trust you, they will not learn as much as they could. There is one student in my class who has a rough home life and as a result has behavioral issues. I’ve talked to him about it and have even had to report child abuse. He is so smart, but gets in his own way, and doesn’t really seem to care about anyone but himself. But one day, he did something wrong while waiting for the PSSAs to end and I let him know that I was disappointed. He asked to speak to me and with tears in his eyes told me that he didn’t think he deserved the reward for that day. In that moment, I realized that I had made a difference in his life. He had never reacted that way to getting in trouble before. Moments like those are the things that make all the stress, all the frustration, and all the tiredness worth it. That’s what keeps you teaching.
How does one summarize an entire semester in just a few paragraphs? Four months of learning and growing, laughing and crying, teaching and being taught. Sometimes I ask myself, “How are you going to leave these children?” And sometimes they ask me that. I always become extremely attached to people, and it’s even worse with children because they seamlessly become a part of your life. They are so malleable and soak up everything around them and I want to be the one who is their hammer and orange juice.
*names changed to protect privacy
