Overall Reflection
I went into these two weeks as nervous as I could be. I didn’t know how these two weeks were going to be. I had no idea if I was going to have a good teacher or a good class. I knew very little about my school. I just felt unprepared going into the experience. I had very little whole group teaching experience, so when I read that I had to teach FOUR lessons to the whole class by myself, I freaked myself out. I had to do a lot of stress relief during what little free time I had during these two weeks.
Looking back, I completely overreacted. I had an excellent learning experience during these two weeks. I had a wonderful teacher, a fantastic class, and an amazing school. Everyone I met at my school was incredibly friendly. There were parent volunteers all over the place, which I love. I think parent involvement is awesome! My teacher was extremely helpful, gave great constructive criticism, and encouraged me when I was clearly nervous. Even my students were encouraging. After each of my lessons, they all told me I did a great job, even when I was pretty positive my lesson was a total flop.
Fortunately, I had a very diverse class. I wasn’t stuck with 27 of the exact same students for two weeks. They were all so different and I had so much to learn from each of them. I think I got the most out of working with them individually, because I was able to see how differently they all learned. Through that, I realized what differentiation truly is. It’s not writing a little bit in a lesson plan for a particular type of student; it’s about knowing each of your students and teaching to their individual needs. Obviously that is easier said than done, but I think it’s an excellent goal to have for yourself as a teacher.
My teacher was beyond helpful. She answered all of my questions, no matter how stupid I thought they were. She gave me feedback and input on all of my lessons. She jumped in when she had to a few times, but not in a disrespectful manner. I had a student break down during a math lesson and she jumped right in to help, because I had no idea where to go with the class from that point. My class was interrupted during another lesson and she encouraged me to bring the class back together and gain their attention again. She gave me a lot of confidence in myself. She helped me realize that there really was no reason to be nervous and that these students weren’t actually going to eat me alive.
Overall, this was, hands-down, the best clinical experience I have ever had. Every thing that happened during the experience was something I could learn from. I was never made to sit back and do nothing. I was always encouraged to help students and given a purpose in the classroom. I was never made to feel like a burden in the classroom. I have been in other experiences that weren’t so great, so it was very refreshing to get this experience. I think I have learned a lot about myself from this experience as well as learning about teaching methods, testing, and lesson planning.
Looking back, I completely overreacted. I had an excellent learning experience during these two weeks. I had a wonderful teacher, a fantastic class, and an amazing school. Everyone I met at my school was incredibly friendly. There were parent volunteers all over the place, which I love. I think parent involvement is awesome! My teacher was extremely helpful, gave great constructive criticism, and encouraged me when I was clearly nervous. Even my students were encouraging. After each of my lessons, they all told me I did a great job, even when I was pretty positive my lesson was a total flop.
Fortunately, I had a very diverse class. I wasn’t stuck with 27 of the exact same students for two weeks. They were all so different and I had so much to learn from each of them. I think I got the most out of working with them individually, because I was able to see how differently they all learned. Through that, I realized what differentiation truly is. It’s not writing a little bit in a lesson plan for a particular type of student; it’s about knowing each of your students and teaching to their individual needs. Obviously that is easier said than done, but I think it’s an excellent goal to have for yourself as a teacher.
My teacher was beyond helpful. She answered all of my questions, no matter how stupid I thought they were. She gave me feedback and input on all of my lessons. She jumped in when she had to a few times, but not in a disrespectful manner. I had a student break down during a math lesson and she jumped right in to help, because I had no idea where to go with the class from that point. My class was interrupted during another lesson and she encouraged me to bring the class back together and gain their attention again. She gave me a lot of confidence in myself. She helped me realize that there really was no reason to be nervous and that these students weren’t actually going to eat me alive.
Overall, this was, hands-down, the best clinical experience I have ever had. Every thing that happened during the experience was something I could learn from. I was never made to sit back and do nothing. I was always encouraged to help students and given a purpose in the classroom. I was never made to feel like a burden in the classroom. I have been in other experiences that weren’t so great, so it was very refreshing to get this experience. I think I have learned a lot about myself from this experience as well as learning about teaching methods, testing, and lesson planning.