I would have to say that student teaching has been one of the most rewarding and eye opening experiences I have ever been through. I have learned so much about myself and the students that I have encountered within these past few months that I will take with me when I finally do get into my own classroom.
During my student teaching semester, I loved more than anything the connections that I made with the students. Before this, I hadn't spent a lot of time around kids or young adults and was somewhat unaware of what to expect. Both the elementary and high school students made me laugh, taught me about themselves, and helped me learn about myself as well. I fell in love with the innocence that elementary school children have, while the high school students could hold more mature conversations. I was more than sad to leave both levels of students, they taught me so much in just a short amount of time that I can't thank them enough for. Thanks to some of these students however, I did learn that at 23 - incase I or anybody else had any doubts - I am nowhere near ready to have children of my own.
One thing I did realize during this experience was that I am more likely to apply for a job at the elementary level rather than the secondary - although I will DEFINITELY go to whatever school takes the chance on me! I loved the innocence and pure amazement that elementary school children exhibited when introducing them to a new assignment, rather than the "whatever" attitude from high school students. I feel that I connected more with the young children, and also that I can and would love to be the role model the young children need in their life. I have to give major props to all my high school teachers over the years and to high school art educators everywhere. It's way more work and patience than I realized, and not enough credit is given to those teachers.
Some of my biggest struggles during this experience have included coming up with lessons that are engaging enough to keep students actively participating and focused while educational at the same time. I have surfed Pinterest for hours and hours, read magazine articles, talked with my cooperating teachers, but coming up with lessons for students has by far caused me the greatest amount of stress.
Another struggle I have experienced would be overcoming my hesitation with public speaking. I'm generally a very quiet and soft spoken person, so getting comfortable enough to speak in front of a group of students was difficult for me. I have found that the more I speak in front of students though, the easier it comes. I feel that it will come as a second nature over time, but for now speaking in front of groups is something I am still working on.
Planning far enough in advance is also something I never considered when it comes to teaching. Naturally, I like to plan far enough ahead so that I know what is going on but I never considered how far ahead I would need to plan lessons. Like speaking in public, I can imagine that planning far enough ahead will come as a second nature the more I do it.
This was probably the best semester of "class" I ever paid for - I absolutely think student teaching was more than necessary for me to become a successful art teacher. A huge thanks to my professors at UofSC , my cooperating teachers, the teachers I had the privilege of observing, family, and friends for supporting me through this stressful time!
