Final Reflection

The last week of my internship made me step back and realize how lucky I was to be apart of this classroom.  Since I observed and assisted this week, I had a lot of time to watch my students be engaged in their work.  I did not realize how much my students grew over the sixteen weeks I had been there.  I noticed such a change from the initial time we met that I could not believe how far they had come.  I realize that this is what teaching is all about.  This is the part that is so incredibly rewarding.  Even when students struggle, it is rewarding to see them try so hard.
This internship has certainly been one of the most rewarding times of my life.  Watching the students grow was wonderful, but I also enjoyed watching myself grow as a teacher.  I have verified how I want to teach.  I love to watch the students figure many things out for themselves.  I have gained more of an effective wait time and allowed the students to take the necessary steps to "connect the dots" and figure out exactly what is causing misconceptions.  I enjoyed seeing the students retrace their steps to see how they might approach something differently.
Using practical life activities and lessons is something I thoroughly enjoyed in this classroom, as well.  Having students tell time, count money, check thermometers, and add and subtract daily showed the importance of what they will encounter in the real world.  In this setting, I was able to have one on one time with each student to see where they needed strengthening to succeed in life, as well as find their strengths and encourage them.
I am so proud of my class and could not think of a better way to spend 16 weeks.  They have showed me the importance of school.  They have showed me how to make learning fun.  They have brought me to be the teacher I want to be.

Week 16 Reflection

I have waited to write my reflection for last week to look at my weekly evaluation for suggestions.  After 6 weeks of full time teaching, it was time for me to give back the subjects to my teacher.   While doing this, I realized that I was not as organized throughout the semester as I thought I had been! My mentor teacher gave me the papers the students had stored inside of their desks while I was full time teaching and I did not realize all of the work that they started and did not complete.  I made sure my students were working and not just sitting there, although there were times they were off task.  However, what I did not enforce or make sure of was finishing what they started.  I feel that if something became too difficult or they became bored of it, it was tossed aside in their desks.  Who can blame them? Because of my disorganization, they were able to do this.  In the future, when I chose to incorporate stations, I will be sure to start out with "Finish what is in your desk first!" I feel that I will also incorporate a folder to turn everything that students have worked on at the end of the week to be able to start a fresh new week on Mondays.  Although I was disappointed that I let this slide, there was something to be learned from.  I tried my best, so I was not disappointed in that aspect, but I learned from this experience.  I learned that even if I feel I have accomplished something, there is always room for improvement.  Organization is a skill of mine that needs to be built upon, and I plan to do this.