Reflection On Student Teaching

Reflection on Student Teaching I have spent my student teaching experience at Dakota Prairie Elementary School in Brookings, South Dakota. I have been teaching in a second grade Mass Customized Learning (MCL) classroom, and I have gained experience working with my 22 second graders as well as a few kindergarteners, first graders, and third graders. Every morning that I walked into Dakota Prairie Elementary, I was greeted with bright smiles and many “good morning” messages. Walking through the school, I learned what it felt like to be a part of a school community. I attended multiple meetings every week between IEP meetings, parent/teacher meetings, second grade meetings, MCL meetings, and whole school meetings. I was welcomed into every meeting as if I was a real teacher in the school. I have gained such a positive perspective of working in an elementary school because of the positivity that radiates from all of the staff. One negative thing that I have heard about is how many cliques can occur in an elementary school. At Dakota Prairie, it is clear to see which teachers are close with one another, however, they still offer advice, resources, and assistance to other teachers. Overall, my perspective of Dakota Prairie Elementary School and other schools has changed to be more positive and welcoming towards everyone who walks through the school doors. My perspective of teaching has shifted immensely since the beginning of student teaching. In the beginning of student teaching, I was terrified that I would not know where to begin or what resources I had access to. My cooperating teacher has done an incredible job at sharing resources with me or pointing me into the right direction of where I can find helpful resources. I also felt extremely overwhelmed at the thought of lesson planning each week, but I have quickly learned that lesson plans can be informal and really exciting to create! I have

learned a lot of new tips and tricks when it comes to planning an interactive lesson and my cooperating teacher has helped me incorporate even more technology into my lessons. My original thoughts when I used to think of being a teacher were that I will constantly be working, I won’t get any sleep, and I will not have a social life. My student teaching experience has shifted that perspective because I get to work alongside with some incredible teachers, I can gain insights on how to teach a certain lesson or handle a specific behavior, and I have gained so much knowledge of teaching from conversations that I’ve had with other teachers in the building. I have learned much more about my personal teaching throughout this semester. I prefer to be in control, but that is not realistic as a teacher, so I have learned to let go of control and that everything will work out. Another thing that I have learned about teaching in my class is how much each student touches my heart in a different way. One teacher asked me, “If you had to choose one student to leave this class, which would you choose?” and I could not answer this question fast enough by saying, “I would not change this classroom for the world.” My learning experiences in the schools have progressed since I began practicum hours a few semesters ago. In the beginning of my practicum classes, I felt like a guest in the classroom and that I was constantly getting in the teacher’s way. It was always difficult to build solid and personal relationships with the students during practicum classes because I was rarely in the classroom. During practicum hours, I also only got to see a glimpse of each classroom for a few hours per day. Once I stepped into the role of a student teacher, my learning experience enhanced, and I felt as though I was walking into a classroom of my own each day. I began learning how to manage a classroom on my own, how to handle difficult behaviors, and how to build lessons that will fit my student’s needs and interests. Another thing that I have learned is to

find a mentor teacher or someone who will take me under their wing and guide me. My cooperating teacher has been my guide and I have learned a lot from her. She relates to me by explaining her student teaching experience and first year of teaching, and one thing that she always mentions is the importance of finding a mentor during my first year of teaching. When I apply for teaching positions, one thing that I know to look for is whether or not the school has a mentorship program for first year teachers. I still have a lot to learn about teaching, but I have a strong professional support system to help me learn as much as possible before I have a classroom of my own.