As an aspiring teacher, interning for Molly has given me valuable insights about the daily task of being an educator that happens outside of the classroom. When I set my sights on teaching, I knew I wanted to take a look behind the curtain if you will, before I fully committed. I believe that the best tool to have in life is understanding, and that was part of my goal in assisting Molly.

I have learned through my internship experience that there is a lot more work that goes into teaching than I had first anticipated. A teacher needs to plan intricate lessons that tie into the curriculum while also keeping track of learners' progress in the subject matter. Grading is another vital aspect of teaching, and this can be very time consuming. Something that I hadn’t initially thought about was the teacher’s responsibility to create a welcoming environment in their classroom. I would spend many hours putting up student posters and decorating the windows of the classroom in order to create said welcoming environment.

My time interning with Molly has been an experience that will last a lifetime. Through this experience I have learned the importance of work experience while also gaining insight into what it takes to be a successful educator. I am ecstatic to have had this opportunity to gain a more full understanding of what working is. It isn’t merely performing a task, it's problem solving. Throughout my experience as a teacher’s assistant, I have learned to assess situations that don’t have clear solutions and pull from my past experiences of leadership and collaboration to solve them. These are lessons that I will take with me to my college career and beyond.