On my first day as a pre-service teacher, I was nervous and excited. I wore my best clothes and held onto my clipboard tightly as I walked into the classroom. Everything looked bright and welcoming—colorful posters on the walls, desks arranged neatly, and the smell of whiteboard markers in the air. But what caught my attention the most were the students. About 30 young faces looked at me, waiting to see who I was. That’s when I realized: this was real. I wasn’t just learning about teaching anymore—I was about to teach.

During my first few weeks, I mostly watched and learned. I was lucky to be placed with a great mentor teacher, Ma'am Edz , who had been teaching for over 10 years. She made teaching look so easy. She knew how to manage the class, keep the students interested, and handle problems smoothly. I took notes on everything—how she gave instructions, how she asked questions, how she handled noisy students, and even how she smiled at just the right moments. I had studied teaching theories in college, like how to plan lessons and support different types of learners. But seeing these ideas used in a real classroom helped me understand them better. I learned that teaching isn’t just about having knowledge—it’s about how you use it, and how you connect with your students. When it was time to teach my first lesson, I wanted everything to be perfect. I spent hours preparing an English lesson on writing stories. I made a PowerPoint, printed worksheets, and planned group activities. I thought the students would enjoy it. But things didn’t go as planned. Some students didn’t listen, others looked confused, and a few talked during the lesson. I had made the lesson too hard, and I didn’t give them enough help to understand the task. I felt embarrassed and disappointed. When I got home that night, I cried. I thought maybe I wasn’t good enough to be a teacher.

The next day, I talked to Ma'am Edz . She smiled and said, “Every teacher has a lesson like that. Don’t give up. Learn from it.” Her words gave me hope. I knew I had to improve. I worked closely with Mrs. Ederlina Guinto to see what I did well and what I needed to change. She said I had good energy and a clear voice, but I needed to make my lessons easier to understand. So for my next lesson, I made changes. I gave clearer instructions, used pictures to explain ideas, and allowed students to work in pairs to help each other. This time, the lesson went much better. The students understood the task, asked questions, and stayed focused. I felt more confident and proud of myself. I realized that teaching was something I could get better at with effort and help from others. One of the hardest parts of teaching was keeping the class under control. I didn’t want to be too strict, but I also needed the students to listen. Some students would test my limits, especially during group activities. I started writing in a journal every day after class. I wrote about what went well and what didn’t. Over time, I learned that students behaved better when they knew what was expected and when I was consistent with my rules. There was one student,  clint , who often interrupted the class with jokes. Instead of always punishing him, I talked to him during breaks and learned that he liked attention but also wanted to be helpful. I gave him small jobs during class, like passing out papers or helping others, and his behavior improved. I learned that when students feel noticed and valued, they often act better.

I also learned how to use technology in my teaching. I tried apps like Kahoot for quizzes and Google Classroom for sharing lessons and collecting homework. At first, I thought students would always enjoy using tech. But I found out that technology doesn’t always make a lesson better—only when it’s used in the right way. Sometimes, there were technical problems. Other times, students got distracted. I learned to always have a backup plan in case the technology didn’t work. This taught me that a good teacher needs to be flexible and ready for anything.  My classroom had students from many different backgrounds. Some were learning English, some had learning difficulties, and some were very advanced but bored. It was hard to make lessons that worked for everyone. I asked for help from the special education teacher. She showed me how to change lessons to make them easier for some students, and how to challenge others. I used drawings, hands-on activities, group work, and games to help all students learn in different ways.

One thing I learned is that being fair doesn’t mean treating everyone the same. It means giving each student what they need to do their best. Over time, I started to feel more like a real teacher. I stopped doubting myself so much. I knew when to follow my lesson plan and when to change it. My voice became stronger, and I felt more comfortable in front of the class. Students began to treat me like a real teacher too. Some even asked me for advice or just wanted to talk about their lives. Of course, there were still hard days. Some lessons didn’t go as planned, and some students still had bad days. But I didn’t let it shake me. I started to see those moments as chances to learn.

As the end of my teaching placement came closer, I felt proud but also sad. I had spent weeks with these students. I had seen them grow and had shared so many experiences with them. On my last day, the students gave me handmade cards. One card said, “Thank you for helping me believe in myself.” Another student wrote, “You’re going to be a great teacher.” I almost cried reading those words. All my hard work had made a difference. Being a pre-service teacher taught me so much. I learned that teaching is not just about explaining things. It’s about being kind, patient, and understanding. It’s about being ready to learn every day and knowing that you’ll never be perfect—but you can always improve.

I also learned that it’s okay to make mistakes. Every teacher makes them. What matters is what you do after.