Reality is often far from what is desired. People in nearly any setting, be it professional or recreational, would relate to this phrase. That does not mean, however, that reality is necessarily a negative experience. My experience in the classroom followed this script as precisely as one could imagine.
When I first arrived for my first day of student teaching, I was nervous for many reasons. I had done research on the school and was aware of many of the challenges I would face, namely regarding test scores and behavioral challenges. Nevertheless, I was optimistic that my presence would create such a positive impact that many of the challenges I was told I would face would become a distant memory over time. Needless to say, throughout the entire course of the year I was met with progressively more challenging days. I have worked with children that continue to struggle to keep their behavior in check and have admittedly worked longer than I had hoped to help my children achieve the standards that were set for them. This was far from what I expected teaching to be, however, what I also did not expect was my willingness to keep working with them and the joy of doing so.
Despite experiencing some of the most challenging days in my career, being able to interact with these children and make some sort of positive impact always made my day. My most notable moment came from when a day was filled with frustrating actions on the part of the students and a feeling of uncertainty as to whether I successfully taught a lesson. I was incredibly frustrated at myself leaving the classroom when many of the students came up to give me hugs and mentioned that part of a lesson I did made the day fun for them. After that moment, I found it impossible to remember a happier time I had that school year.
My days as a student teacher have also included some discussions of very heavy subjects, including talking with my children about members of their family who passed away and even talking with one student who was suicidal. Hearing stories such as these renewed my belief in the fact that it is vital that teachers create the most positive environment they can for students. Not knowing what these kids deal with in their lives is inevitable, however creating an environment where they can feel safe enough to come to you when problems arise is within the power of all teachers.
Working in the classroom is far and away one of the most challenging chapters in my life, and while this chapter will be long, I also firmly believe that it will be one of the richest in my life. Being able to make a positive impact on children is what I hope to achieve because at the core of my philosophy, I believe that children are going to make our future, and if we help them build a positive vision for their future, all people will have a golden opportunity to be a part of it.
When I first arrived for my first day of student teaching, I was nervous for many reasons. I had done research on the school and was aware of many of the challenges I would face, namely regarding test scores and behavioral challenges. Nevertheless, I was optimistic that my presence would create such a positive impact that many of the challenges I was told I would face would become a distant memory over time. Needless to say, throughout the entire course of the year I was met with progressively more challenging days. I have worked with children that continue to struggle to keep their behavior in check and have admittedly worked longer than I had hoped to help my children achieve the standards that were set for them. This was far from what I expected teaching to be, however, what I also did not expect was my willingness to keep working with them and the joy of doing so.
Despite experiencing some of the most challenging days in my career, being able to interact with these children and make some sort of positive impact always made my day. My most notable moment came from when a day was filled with frustrating actions on the part of the students and a feeling of uncertainty as to whether I successfully taught a lesson. I was incredibly frustrated at myself leaving the classroom when many of the students came up to give me hugs and mentioned that part of a lesson I did made the day fun for them. After that moment, I found it impossible to remember a happier time I had that school year.
My days as a student teacher have also included some discussions of very heavy subjects, including talking with my children about members of their family who passed away and even talking with one student who was suicidal. Hearing stories such as these renewed my belief in the fact that it is vital that teachers create the most positive environment they can for students. Not knowing what these kids deal with in their lives is inevitable, however creating an environment where they can feel safe enough to come to you when problems arise is within the power of all teachers.
Working in the classroom is far and away one of the most challenging chapters in my life, and while this chapter will be long, I also firmly believe that it will be one of the richest in my life. Being able to make a positive impact on children is what I hope to achieve because at the core of my philosophy, I believe that children are going to make our future, and if we help them build a positive vision for their future, all people will have a golden opportunity to be a part of it.
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