School Visit Reflection

The first school visit was nerve-wracking but incredibly reaffirming that I want to make teaching my career. I thoroughly enjoyed observing the two classes for our visit, as it got me thinking about how I wanted to deliver my lessons and how teachers foster relationships with their students. Ms. A was extremely open to answering all of our questions, no matter how mundane, and impressed upon us that relationships with the students are the most important. Mr. R’s class was excellent to observe; however, one of the students' statements, “Macbeth was gaslit by Lady Macbeth into killing Duncan,” made me giggle, and Mr. R very exasperated. Which I think sheds light on the trials of teaching; sometimes, your students will just come up with the most wacky ideas, but it’s up to the teacher to (sometimes firmly) guide them toward critically thinking about the content they’re learning. 

On my second visit, I was fortunate to be among the first to learn about their practicum placements. I started the morning with an orientation at the school district office, which was a great introduction to the district's values and the high but appropriate expectations for our practicums. Then, the long-awaited announcement of which school our practicums would take place at. And I couldn’t have been more thrilled with my placement! We then spent the rest of the day at our assigned schools, and I got to meet my lovely school advisors and faculty advisor. I observed the latter half of the day's classes that I will eventually take over and teach during my practicum. Secretly, I’m most excited to teach the grade nines. They seem like a great bunch of outgoing kids, and my SA has excellent strategies for keeping them engaged (literature circles with their table groups, creative writing tasks that spark discussion, and effective classroom management, just to name a few) that even after one lesson I am picking up on. 

Overall, I am looking forward to fully getting into the classroom and learning what it is to teach day in and day out. My SAs have given me an outline of what kind of thing would fit in nicely with what they’re currently teaching in their classes, so I have a lot of work to do, but I couldn’t be more excited to get started. Lesson plans and ideas are bubbling in my brain, and I can’t wait to see where I succeed and where I need to grow to be the best educator I can be.