It seems like just yesterday I sitting in Davis’s Central Park discussing with my cohort colleagues our uncertainties about the term and potential placements. Seven weeks later we are wrapping up our first quarter and our observation time at our long-term placements. 

 

What have I learned? I’ve learned that a quick ten-minute nap when you get home from observations can be life-saving. I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for a student is to leave them alone. I’ve learned that building relationships with students takes time and authenticity, but it is completely worth it. This term has taught me several ideas and methods that I plan to use in my future classroom. 292 has taught me that everyone has a different writing process and it takes time to develop. That is why we have to model different methods for students. One method often overlooked is student talk or oral storytelling. Having students talk about their writing before putting fingers to keyboards can inspire them and help compile their thoughts. I learned that relating literature to our students’ lives can assist in their comprehension of the material. Most importantly, I have learned that when you invest time and energy into your relationships with students, you will have a more engaged and cohesive classroom. This might not happen every day, but it is important to keep showing up, otherwise, you won’t see it. 

 

My student teaching experience and conversations with my resident teacher have helped me make sense of all this material the most. Seeing the ideas and methods discussed during 292 in my 11th-grade classes and being able to talk through the different ways to handle situations with my resident teacher has been helpful. Our conversations with my colleagues in and out of the zoom room have also helped me comprehend the vast amount of information I am consuming every day. We can joke and discuss or compare experiences from both student teaching and our own learning experiences. These conversations and these new friends have become wonderful sources of inspiration and resilience during these first few weeks.
 

There are a number of questions that remain after this term. I would like to learn more about planning a class and building out your units for a full year. I would also like to know more about how we can provide structure and stability despite potential changes that can occur. 

 

I would also like to learn more about how to support emerging bilingual students as well as IEP’s and 504’s mainly in high school. There is a sense of independence and agency in learning that takes place at this age, but there are still students that need the additional support. 

 

These last few weeks have been some of the most fun I have ever had. I have enjoyed building relationships with my students and am very sad that I will not be able to see them again in the spring. I hope that some will stop by to say hi when I return. I have loved working with my resident teacher, seeing the ins and outs of grading, lesson planning, and so much more. I have loved identifying and incorporating the lessons that we have learned from 292 into our classroom. Thanks to the readings and conversations from this class I have found ways to help students work through literary analysis, participate in small group discussions, and discover their writing process by practicing with CeESS paragraphs. While this last term was not easy I have realized I am very happy with this new path and am excited to see what comes next.