Student Teaching Tid Bits: Finished

Welcome to Student Teaching Tid Bits. 

This is where I will do my best to document that which is my experience of being a student while also being a teacher... a bit of a paradox. Want to come along with me through my experience of Student Teaching? Well if you don't then choose not to read.

Well... I did it. I had a lot of people who believed in me. My mentor teacher was a huge blessing. C.K. never doubted I'd be able to do it and do it well. He was right. (Thanks for never doubting me even when I always did.) My professors were encouraging and very complementary. And even some of my students would tell me I was doing a good job.

What I learned:

a) I cannot and will not tolerate a lack of respect for fellow students. More than one of my classes experienced my at my angriest(word? well it is now). I learned I could handle them talking while I was talking. It didn't hurt my feelings. But the minute they didn't show respect to a fellow student, I lost it. Not crazy out right yelling. But I got so serious they knew I meant business. Now I warn my classes that when presentations are going on, you listen. Because you don't want to see what I'll do. It seems to work. 

b) Students, well humans, need a reason for things. I got really tired of asking one of my classes to stop talking during announcements. You can only say "Be quiet" so many times without it registering and there just is no longer any point. So I waited. I didn't start yelling or screaming. What would that accomplish. Instead I sat calmly waiting for the announcements to finish and them to be quite and I told them... 'You know. One day you'll be sitting in a staff meeting and you'll have to listen to things that you don't really care about. And if you just acted the way you did during announcements you'd be fired. Fired. No warnings, no second chances, just fired. So be careful you guys, start learning lessons now." I always want to give a reason for why I'm asking them to do something. They deserve that. I need to make sure I never ask them to do something that doesn't have purpose.

c) Students, well people, just want to feel as though someone cares. I've blogged about seeing the change in students once I show a personal interest, but it's been fun to see how much it really means to them. Since I'm no longer student teaching, I'm substituting in the same school. So I walk through the halls and see my former students, and most of them say hello and smile at me. Some have even come into my classroom to tell me they miss me. Even ones that I thought hated me, poke their heads in to say hello. A few of them also said that they felt I 'got them" I don't think it hurts that I'm single, without children, and sometimes mistaken for a high school student. But I find that I'm glad they still want to say hi to me, that they tell me they miss me, that they want me back... I hope that means that they could see and feel how much I cared about them. I found that when a student would drop my class, I'd wonder about them. Or if I saw they were suspended I worried about them and their choices. 

d) I still look like I'm in high school... I gotta go buy more grown up clothes. Or wear more makeup. And probably stop carrying a back pack and my Wonder Woman lunch box... Wait a minute! I draw the line there. Wonder Woman ain't going no where!

e) I have a responsibility with these kids. I recently re-heard Elder Oaks talk from conference called, Protect the Children, there were so many things I took away from that of how I can do better as a teacher to build these children up. Am I setting to high of expectations for myself? I hope so, because I am not doing this job for the money. I'll tell you that. I'm grateful that the Lord has put me in so many teaching opportunities to not only show me my strengths but also my weaknesses, all the more better to prepare me for my children. 

f) I love learning about history. I'm so excited to one day know more about it all. So many fun stories!

g) I cannot always do my best. Sometimes I just have to do okay. My lessons will not always be amazing, but I can always make my classroom a place students want to come. One student told me that she wasn't going to go to Dance anymore because I wasn't teaching... I told her she better because I want her to pass. She deserved to pass. That's where I can always do my best. To care about these kids and their futures. Lessons are only secondary.

h) I know nothing about pop culture... and I don't care.

i) I'm really going to love this career. Finally, after so many trial and errors I've found where I feel I fit. Probably it's telling me I really just want to be a mom. Because, let's be honest, all I'm trying to do is help teach these kids how to leave my classroom better than when they came in. It's a hard job. But so far nothing compares to it fulfillment at the end of the day.

And that was student teaching for me. 

So no more student teaching tid bits... just teaching tid bits from now on.