Final Student Teaching Reflection
Lacey McCarty
Spring 2019
Lacey McCarty
Final Student Teaching Reflection
As I consider my student teaching experience, so many memories, challenges, and successes come to mind. I have also learned so much more than I would have thought possible. I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone and been forced to identify some aspects of the teaching profession that I had not considered before. All of this shaped me as an educator and allowed me to grow as a teacher. I finally identify as a teacher and this is all becoming a reality to me.
Having been in the workforce for many years, it is often difficult to take on a new title, or profession. I have called myself an archaeologist, and EMT, a mother, a writer, a volunteer, a manager and so much more. Past careers have led me to new paths of learning and thinking. I am thankful for these careers because they will all support me in being a teacher. As I evolve into this new role, I hope to be a lifelong learner and model that to my students.
I have learned the importance of learning from my mistakes. For instance, arriving to teach a lesson unprepared is like swimming with sharks: you just might be eaten alive. I value the time I spend prepping my lessons and practicing their implementation. I can work out problems ahead of time and utilize my teaching time to its fullest capacity. Sometimes lessons don’t go as planned or they take a different direction and that is okay too. At times I have even seen these types of wayward lessons to be the most valuable.
I learned from my students and from my cooperating teacher each day. The most important lesson I learned was the value of creating strong relationships with my students. I did this in a variety of ways. This topic became such an important facet to my learning that I made it the focus of my professional development plan. These strong relationships formed a stronger learning environment and a much more manageable classroom where learning was the focus. My cooperating teaching has excellent rapport with her students and their families, making her classroom less chaotic and more focused on learning. There is a true sense of mutual respect and the students are generally engaged.
I have learned the value of making these connections from day one. My relationships with these kids have been building each day, and it is amazing to see how far they’ve come. I have learned how intentionally forming these relationships plays such an important role in the environment and community of the classroom. Because I was able to form these connections, getting to know my students on an individual level, I was able to see more success, more engagement, and more collaboration in my classroom. I have built mutual respect and rapport within my classroom, and I have seen the benefit of these relationships in several ways. Students have opened up to me and I spend each morning getting high fives, hellos, and hugs. They truly consider me their teacher and trust me and my abilities enough to come to me rather than my cooperating teacher. I know that this is developed from my relationships with them and the openness that I have tried to instill from the very beginning.
As a future teacher, I cannot wait to build these relationships with my own students. I realize the importance of forming this open and loving community, and I intend to begin intentionally forming these relationships and building respect and rapport in my classroom from day one. Although the end of the semester is sad and sentimental, I am happy to see how far I’ve come as a professional.
Finally, I have learned the importance of having an open mind. You can walk into any classroom and see completely different environments, teaching styles, student personalities, curriculum, resources, etc. It is so easy to have your own ways and your own approaches to teaching, disregarding anything else that you encounter. I have learned that being open to approaches and styles that I am not particularly used to is beneficial to help me learn more ways that I can help my students and to also learn more about what I like and dislike as a teacher. Rarely does anyone have a perfect student teaching placement. I am fortunate to have enjoyed mine, but I have also learned that there is value in learning about what you do not want to do as a teacher just as much as learn what you do want to do. It is so important to continue being open minded so that you can leave room to grow into a more effective teacher!
I have really enjoyed my student teaching experience despite some hardships and challenges. I found myself in very low points but also in very high points throughout the semester, but I can clearly see how it has all grown me as a teacher, and I feel as though I can confidently walk into whatever classroom I will be teaching in next year. I cannot believe that the time has come for my own classroom; I can hardly wait! It is inevitable that there will be relationships formed and connections made that leave lasting impressions. I will miss these students and the adventures that they bring to me each day.
I have always valued the role I play as a teacher in the growth of my students. While the importance of academic growth in students is obvious, I also recognize the importance of each student’s social and emotional growth as well. As a teacher, I can have a significant influence on my students’ growth in each of these areas of their lives. We aren’t there to just teach them math facts or make sure that they can develop a five-paragraph essay. So often we become mentors, encouraging voices, or the ones who offer advice on important matters.
I look forward to discovering new opportunities to reach students. As I apply for my first teaching job, I hope to carry my eagerness into my new classroom and use it to engage and excite my students. I understand that there will always be challenges and difficulties, but I know I can use these situations to grow and learn. As I assume the title of educator, I know I take on a meaningful career choice and I am thankful for all of the special experiences that my time student teaching has brought in order to prepare me for the future.