I feel that it would be inadequate if I did not kick off this semester's season of blogging without writing about my first clinical experience! As any pre-service teacher would, I anxiously awaited my final clinical placement that would take me all the way to graduation. I am thrilled to be working in a fourth grade classroom this year.
Today, I attended the Back to School Night at my school placement. From the moment I stepped into my school, I felt as if I had began a new stage of life; one of a professional. I met my teacher and we quickly began to connect as a team with a common goal in mind. I really felt invested in from the beginning, before students and parents even came to visit. I met all of the teachers on my team and before I knew it, I was literally becoming a human sponge. My CE and I talked a lot about how we wanted to balance observations and lesson presentations, as well as precautionary measures I would need to take to best serve the students in our class. Many of the things that we discussed began to make me realize that this "education thing" was more than lesson plans and assessment.
I think that all of the research and preparation I have done could not do justice for what I was watching at school. In our education classes and prior research, no one touches on how to greet your students for the very first time, or how to get them to crawl out from under the table because they are scared of school. Or, on the flip side, how to address a student who begs to stay at school because they will do anything to stay away from home. I have been reading up on students who come from unsightly home situations and tried to apply my findings to those situations of my students.
It was truly a sight to see in those short four hours I was able to spend with my teacher. The point in this blog is to say that this is a very crucial moment in many of our lives that will most likely impact our futures forever. Now is the time to be a human sponge.
I am so glad you had a great experience during Open House! I can promise you that our students will teach us more things than we will teach them. They are the ones who are going to have an impact on us and help us grow to become great teacher leaders! I am excited for us to start this new journey of semi being a college student and semi being a teacher! These two worlds are about to collide and I cannot wait to see how this year unfolds! I know you will do great in your classroom!!
ReplyDeleteOlivia, it made me smile to read about your experience with open house. You are absolutely taking the right approach to your clinical experience, in my opinion! Going in with an open mind and being a "sponge" is the best thing you can do. There is SO much to learn by just being there. There is literally no research or studying that you can do that can compare to just getting in there and being a part of a school and team! I am so glad that you see that it is SO MUCH more than just lesson planning and assessments. It is one of the most meaningful careers in the world! Stay invested, that is the attitude to have and the people at that school are going to love you for it and you will be much more likely to make an impression on them that way! Keep us updated on all of your experiences there and I am looking forward to keeping up with your journey, Olivia!
ReplyDeleteWow, Olivia!!! I'm so excited for you! I too, had a really great experience with my CE at open house. The thing that you said that stood out to me the most was how to greet your students for the first time. This was the most intimidating thing for me. Most of my students were just as intimated as I was though, since it was their very first day of school, EVER! You were so right when you said that we should be a sponge and be taking everything in! I know that you are just as excited as I am, and I'm so excited for you! I'm praying for you, and thinking about you throughout this journey!
ReplyDeleteOlivia,
ReplyDeleteGreat shift in mindset already. You are right, we cannot possibly prepare you for everything you will face in your classroom. It IS about way more than lesson plans and assessment. But those are the foundation that helps everything else work. If you don't have a plan and the insight assessment gives you, you can't refocus when you have those moments.
I'm also very glad to see that you are already researching the concepts that are now coming to light. You will grow very fast this semester, and it's exciting! How does all of this connect to the NCTCS?
There were so many NCTCS connections I made this week with my class but a few come to mind. As I watched my CE greet students and put parents at ease, I couldn't help but connect that to Standard 1c & 2e. Those standards deal with the treatment of students and building bridges between school and home. I definitely have witnessed those elements. Also, standard 5c has been on my mind as I was talking with my CE one day about the needs of this year's class. We were talking about how the needs have changed, which meant it was up to us to seek research and data to meet those needs.
DeleteOlivia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog! I can relate with you about having an instant connection with my CE. It calms my nerves SO much to know that my CE and I have already connected so much! It is truly a answered prayer. Also, the first moment I stepped foot in my school, it felt different from all the other clinical placements I have had. I knew this one was going to change me as a person and as a future teacher. I can't wait to read more of your blogs to hear about your experience this semester.