It is a new year and a new adventure! I started my student teaching in a first grade classroom and am absolutely loving it. Everyday I am learning something new and I am constantly reminded of how much I love seeing children grow and learn.
I was completely welcomed to the school by my lead teacher, the school staff, and the students. It is such a great environment and I am so lucky to have been placed where I am. There are a handful of other student teachers in the building, which is comforting to know that we are all experiencing our journey together.
As we all know, with every experience there are positive and negative moments. With student teaching being such a major part of the teacher certification process there are also shocking realizations. I had heard it over and over again in classes but could have never been prepared for the vast and varied amount of levels in our one classroom. The first few days I felt overwhelmed with trying to get to know the students and their level and what group they were in and even what assistance they needed individually. Now that a full two weeks have passed I know each student and where they need extra help. It was shocking and overwhelming at first but as time continued I became more comfortable with the levels. I imagine this is what all teachers experience in the first few weeks of each new school year.
As I mentioned above, it has been a full two weeks. When I reflect on my experiences I am really proud of myself for jumping in head first. In the first week my lead teacher felt confident enough to let me lead a literacy center group - reading leveled readers or stories from the first grade text book with small groups. I also helped her complete DRAs and QSIs for her class as well as the enrichment block. I am looking forward to doing the same tests in a few months to actually be able to see the growth in each student. Even the small things such as lunch duty, school wide meetings, grade level meetings and meeting the student's parents have been invaluable experiences.
Next week I will begin taking over the 45 minute Social Studies block, beginning with teaching about the Chinese New Year. I am looking forward to seeing my planning and teaching in action. I am also excited to see how the students respond to each lesson.
Stay in touch and look for updates!
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