North Farmington High School

Adventures of A Student Teacher at North Farmington!

It's wild to think how fast 9 months have flown by. When my internship started back in September, I had no idea what this journey would have in store for me, and despite how exhausted I was or how obnoxious my kids could sometimes be, it was all worth it. Working with Kristina Smith Mays has been an honor and a privilege as she has taught me so much about commanding a classroom and taking the time to develop genuine relationships with students. Teenagers are such a dynamic demographic--they have so much potential and eagerness to learn (maybe not about English specifically, but wanting to experience the world). My relationships with my students are the reasons why I am a teacher. The most rewarding part of this job is when my students feel confident enough in their skills with writing and reading that they feel they can take on the world (or the SAT), and when they build connections between literature and their lives/worlds. I am so proud of the growth they showed throughout the semester and year, and I'm so grateful for them and all that they have taught me. Even though these 9 months were challenging, at least it confirmed that I have found my life's calling.

Was this internship easy? Not one bit. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Black History Month

Celebrating Black History, success, excellence, and legacy has always been important to me, and I was honored to be offered to help organize and supervise Farmington Public School's annual Black History Month performance. Students from across the district collaborated to showcase Black Excellence in music, dance, and Spoken Word poetry. While the students continued to show their excellence during rehearsals, my responsibility was to make sure they had the right music, and to make sure they were well fed :)

Hoops For Hope Charity Basketball Game

As one might have guessed from my overall low-enthusiasm for sports, I stepped out of my comfort zone to play in a charity basketball. One of my students, who is the co-president for HOPE (a student organization dedicated to ending childhood cancer), asked me to play in a charity game despite having virtually zero basketball. I agreed eagerly, however, my lungs would regret that decision in the first half of that game. Despite having noodles for legs and being the shortest player on either teams (5'2"), I still had a great time playing with fellow teachers and playing for a good cause!