Overall Reflection of the Clinical Experience
When I found out I was placed in a fifth grade class I nearly cried. I thought that second or third grade was my calling but after two weeks in the fifth grade classroom, I’m not sure what grade I want to teach anymore. The experience was both overwhelming but wonderful as well. I noticed how the teachers weren’t really the main focus in the classroom; the kids were. The students were responsible for their behavior, their learning, and most of all, their growth. It was almost like the teachers could sit back and watch learning come to life by the students. I really loved that! The fifth grade classes switch for subjects and I liked that my cooperating teacher only taught math and science. I think it would be nice to only have to teach two subjects with a small amount of integration of reading and social studies. I also realized how time consuming being a teacher is. My teacher overwhelmed herself with many responsibilities and just eating lunch without working on something never occurred. I think the work I’ll have to put in will be the hardest part of teaching for me.
The school itself was awesome. I was so impressed by the large amount of resources that were available, as well as; the strong focus on technology use in the classroom. Nearly everyone I came into contact with greeted me with a smile. The atmosphere seemed so friendly and focused on the children. I noticed that community was a big deal to the school because around the building were the students’ work, projects, faculty/students of the month bulletin boards, and much more. I felt so comfortable there and I could see myself teaching there one day.
This two week experience has been a complete rollercoaster ride. I had this presumption that I was going to sit down with my cooperating teacher and discuss exactly what assignments I was going to do on specific days and the times I would come in. However, this was not the case at all. I had to be quite flexible throughout the two weeks because things changed so quickly. For example, one day I was supposed to teach my math re-engagement lesson and my teacher’s son got sick, so she needed to leave early. She asked me to teach her lesson instead of my re-engagement lesson because I had already seen her teach it once to the other teacher’s class earlier that day. So, the substitute sat in the back and I took over and taught the class. It was both nerve-racking and comfortable at the same time.
Not only did I need to be flexible, I also had to be persistent. Because I was in a fifth grade class and the students changed teachers for different subjects, I had to work with two different teachers. I was constantly asking when I could teach my lessons and what the topics would be. I was very proud of myself because I handled it a lot better than I felt I would.
I taught all four of my lessons during the second week. It was very much a challenge but I somehow managed to do well. The two fifth grade teachers I worked with gave me the exact topics they wanted me to teach. They also guided me in decided what activities I could possibly do and how long they would take. The science lesson on cells was my favorite lesson because I came up with most of the activities. I liked that I included a lot of collaboration and communication among the students. I was able to see them have small discussions and argue about the different images they were viewing. I felt most accomplished with this lesson because I felt that the students really learned the material. It was rewarding to see the students grasp the material within an hour.
Taking over control and teaching all the lessons was actually no problem for me. I just did what I’ve been taught to do and when I got stuck the students were kind enough to help me out. The feedback I got from my teachers on my lessons has been very helpful to me and I will keep it in mind for next semester. For example, the teacher that taught social studies and reading told me to have the students stand up and read or something after lunch because that’s when students start to lose focus.
Overall, I feel that I grew more as a teacher within the two weeks than over the last two semesters. Although getting the assignments for all my classes completed was like torture, I came out stronger and more prepared of what teaching is really like. I think the biggest thing I learned was that things change quickly. I went in most days not knowing what I would be getting done and leaving thinking I didn’t do enough. I’m going to miss the students the most. I learned a lot about them and grew a connection with them that I wasn’t expecting. My last day I gave both classes candy to say goodbye and I loved all the ‘thank you for teaching us’ and hugs I received. My cooperating teacher said that I am welcome to come back whenever I’d like. I might have to take her up on that offer just to see the kiddies!
The school itself was awesome. I was so impressed by the large amount of resources that were available, as well as; the strong focus on technology use in the classroom. Nearly everyone I came into contact with greeted me with a smile. The atmosphere seemed so friendly and focused on the children. I noticed that community was a big deal to the school because around the building were the students’ work, projects, faculty/students of the month bulletin boards, and much more. I felt so comfortable there and I could see myself teaching there one day.
This two week experience has been a complete rollercoaster ride. I had this presumption that I was going to sit down with my cooperating teacher and discuss exactly what assignments I was going to do on specific days and the times I would come in. However, this was not the case at all. I had to be quite flexible throughout the two weeks because things changed so quickly. For example, one day I was supposed to teach my math re-engagement lesson and my teacher’s son got sick, so she needed to leave early. She asked me to teach her lesson instead of my re-engagement lesson because I had already seen her teach it once to the other teacher’s class earlier that day. So, the substitute sat in the back and I took over and taught the class. It was both nerve-racking and comfortable at the same time.
Not only did I need to be flexible, I also had to be persistent. Because I was in a fifth grade class and the students changed teachers for different subjects, I had to work with two different teachers. I was constantly asking when I could teach my lessons and what the topics would be. I was very proud of myself because I handled it a lot better than I felt I would.
I taught all four of my lessons during the second week. It was very much a challenge but I somehow managed to do well. The two fifth grade teachers I worked with gave me the exact topics they wanted me to teach. They also guided me in decided what activities I could possibly do and how long they would take. The science lesson on cells was my favorite lesson because I came up with most of the activities. I liked that I included a lot of collaboration and communication among the students. I was able to see them have small discussions and argue about the different images they were viewing. I felt most accomplished with this lesson because I felt that the students really learned the material. It was rewarding to see the students grasp the material within an hour.
Taking over control and teaching all the lessons was actually no problem for me. I just did what I’ve been taught to do and when I got stuck the students were kind enough to help me out. The feedback I got from my teachers on my lessons has been very helpful to me and I will keep it in mind for next semester. For example, the teacher that taught social studies and reading told me to have the students stand up and read or something after lunch because that’s when students start to lose focus.
Overall, I feel that I grew more as a teacher within the two weeks than over the last two semesters. Although getting the assignments for all my classes completed was like torture, I came out stronger and more prepared of what teaching is really like. I think the biggest thing I learned was that things change quickly. I went in most days not knowing what I would be getting done and leaving thinking I didn’t do enough. I’m going to miss the students the most. I learned a lot about them and grew a connection with them that I wasn’t expecting. My last day I gave both classes candy to say goodbye and I loved all the ‘thank you for teaching us’ and hugs I received. My cooperating teacher said that I am welcome to come back whenever I’d like. I might have to take her up on that offer just to see the kiddies!