I Did It!

For those of you who have been following my blog, I began my blog at the beginning of my clinical experience before I begin student teaching. I'm in an incredible 2nd grade class once a week and I'd set four goals for myself. Goal number one was to put the polish on Ms. Christine and become a stronger teacher. Goal two, network both inside and outside of school, plan an amazing science lesson and lastly, teach an exciting science lesson. Can I tell you how that went? You’re right; I should feel free because this is my blog.

First and foremost, did I improve my teaching persona? Yes, I did! I know this because I have gotten multiple compliments by my supervising teacher and science instructor on my rapport, tone of voice and demeanor when handling stress. These were not initially things I thought of improving when I sought to reach this goal. I wanted to become more creative, cultured, and reflective. I truly believe I have done this too.  Working closely with students with hearing impairments in my classroom and using this information to build curriculum in my courses made me more cultured and diverse. My classroom lacked much cultural diversity but the experiences  I brought into the classroom as well as the ones I will be walking  away with  has also made me a  more cultured person. Lastly, in reflecting on my overall performance, I’ve become more creative because it forced me to look through different lenses in my pedagogy. Can I also add that being reflective was another compliment I’ve gotten during this experience!

Have I networked with other professionals inside and outside of school? Check! As I enter school each week, I stop to smile and talk to the monitors outside, the secretaries in the office, the nurse and other teachers. I don’t care if they don’t even speak back, as long as they notice me. I ended up networking and getting a reference for a future job opportunity this summer by simply being friendly and talking with other teachers in the school. Not to mention each lunch period, many faculty members come together for food and conversation. Most weeks we have a special occasion where everyone brings in things from pizza to desserts. Maintaining good eating habits or indulging in unhealthy snacks here or t here in front of other women can truly bring us ladies together.  Who would have known?

Create and implement science lesson, yes I did it. The experience I had creating and teaching one science lesson in a bilingual classroom with two other teachers was a bonus. On my search for science in my clinical classroom, I was able to teach a science lesson last minute and rock it out. Check out my Searching for Science blog from a couple weeks ago to read more about it. 

My last goal was to create and teach an engaging social studies lesson. I am happy to report that I have done this too. The social studies content my instructor models during class helped me to produce an incredible social studies lesson for my 2^nd grade students. We focused on wants and needs in economics through a pretend shopping trip. What better way to get engaged in an economics lesson than to go shopping for things you both want and need, even if it is for pretend. Young or old, having money is something we all can enjoy. My students were excited in the end and begging for eager to get more money to keep shopping in the end.

Despite the busy semester it has been, I am proud to say, I accomplished many things. I  have learned  many things through each goal and experiences I have shared with you all through my blog. Adding polish to my pedagogy is an educator's never-ending duty. Look forward to reading more about the Ms. Christine side of me because as a future educator, that is huge a part of me. Networking is also a never-ending goal I have moving forward. Feel free to connect with me by commenting below! I would love to get to know some of my fellow followers and learn things through your experiences as well. 

 It feels great to share with others positive, meaningful experiences you’ve had and goals you’ve achieved. Thank you for allowing me to do that with you all.