Placement refelction

            At the end of the two placements for practicum, all I can think is that I cannot wait to student teach and to eventually have my own classroom. Being in the teaching role has never quite felt like a role to me, it has always felt like me. If I am scared of anything, it is probably taking the restrictions and guidelines that an administration and school department gives me and making it what I feel is necessary to teach the students. Overall, I’d have to say what excites me the most is that in the fall, I will get to meet a large group of wonderful high school students that I will spend an entire semester with. The worst part about the practicum placements was that they are not long enough and when the students start to get attached and really open up to you in their room, you have to leave. Luckily this is not the case in student teaching where I will really have the chance to get to know my students. This is definitely the most exciting part.

            To look at teaching two days and the differences. The second day of teaching is always completely different from the first. The first day of taking over a class, the students are not sure what to expect and they hold themselves back a little bit more or are more outspoken and forceful, trying to feel out what they are able to get away with. On the second day, students definitely fall more into their own paths and will let their sillier or more outgoing sides go. They see that while instructing their class, you will not bit their heads off.

            I am curious to find out where I will be placed and with whom. I know I can get along with almost anyone, but I really want to be placed with a teacher I completely click with and can show me a lot of really cool things. I have heard some horror stories, and that in itself is really scary to me when I think about my student teaching. But all in all I’m thinking positive, and I have not had any disastrous experiences yet.