Final Reflection

As I think back over my 488 placement and unit teaching, I am struck by how much I've learned and how much more I still need to learn. Planning and teaching a five day unit was exhausting. By the end of it, I was ready to give up on teaching. I couldn't imagine how teachers plan and teach for six hours a day; it was overwhelming to say the least. But then, on the last day we were teaching, the students gave us homemade cards with the most sincere messages. Looking through those cards somehow made the sleepless nights, the hours spent planning and researching, the stress over whether or not the students were learning anything all worth it. It was easy to see that we meant something to each of those students in one way or another.

This placement (and this year in general) has shown me that teaching is not easy. You can know all the strategies and plan all the activities you want, but it's a completely different story when twenty little faces are staring up at you. There have been times when I've been so frustrated that all I've wanted to do is cry, and that's okay. Teaching is hard. I understand that now. The important thing is remembering that what you are doing is making a difference. I've learned the importance of really getting to know your students so that you can be the best teacher possible for them. As I look to next year, I am excited to get an even better idea about what it's like to be a teacher.