Student Teaching Experience Reflection
Greeley Central HS |
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I can honestly say I would not be the person I am today, let alone the teacher, had I not had the privilege to experience and complete my student teaching at Greeley Central High School. The amount of support I experienced from administration, teaching staff, English department, and my cooperating teacher, Matt Ellis, has forever changed my experience in education. I have felt what it was like to be a contributing member of a team, a collaborator of curriculum development and data assessment for the purpose of benefiting my students’ overall success and achievement. I worked and walked along side individuals who were consistently considering a diverse student population, as well as each individual students’ needs. I benefitted immensely from the daily collaboration of my cooperating teacher, as well as the weekly meeting and conversations surrounding necessary scaffolding for lesson planning and unit assessments. Matt encouraged me to begin teaching at the start of the semester, and while I was overwhelmed with classroom management, content execution, and peer collaboration, I had the opportunity to connect with the students immediately. After four months of teaching and interacting with the students at Greeley Central HS, I have earned their respect and built relationships with the students. The greatest reward of this entire experience has been being able to provide the type of nurturing pedagogy that provides my students with an environment and an experience where they feel supported and capable of being successful in my classroom.
Formative assessment and classroom management were my biggest hurdles to over come. Scaffolding content and instruction was so important for the demographic at Greeley Central due to the sheer number of diverse learners. Differentiation was a must and I quickly learned to be ready to facilitate a variety of lessons and activities to accommodate the needs of all my students. Culturally, I experienced a completely different world. Incorporating a plethora cultural texts (such as hip-hop during a poetry assignment) allowed me to link the students’ experiences to the content in the classroom. It also provided me with insight into each students’ interests and backgrounds. Through this experience we bridged the gaps of our differences and arrived in the classroom willing to work collaboratively.
I am challenged to imagine what I would have done differently during this experience. Every moment, every student interaction, and every growing pain of my experience contributed to the ability to manage classroom norms and expectations better. The experiences provided me with insight into why structure and transparency are a must, and the invaluable need to connect and build relationships with the students. Without the challenges, pushback of the students, and difficulties in lesson execution, I would not feel as prepared and ready for the next step in my teaching journey.
The students, teachers, and experiences at Greeley Central HS have assisted in the evolution of my teaching philosophy, as well as my personal and professional goals for education. I believe more strongly in the need for social justice and equity within the classroom. 21st century skills are imperative for our students’ success and achievement as they enter the work force and become valuably contributing members of our society. Not every student is college bound and it’s important for us as teachers to recognize this and prepare our students for experiences beyond the classroom. The time I spent in the Greeley Central classrooms has not only defined the way I view education but how I see the world in which we live.
Formative assessment and classroom management were my biggest hurdles to over come. Scaffolding content and instruction was so important for the demographic at Greeley Central due to the sheer number of diverse learners. Differentiation was a must and I quickly learned to be ready to facilitate a variety of lessons and activities to accommodate the needs of all my students. Culturally, I experienced a completely different world. Incorporating a plethora cultural texts (such as hip-hop during a poetry assignment) allowed me to link the students’ experiences to the content in the classroom. It also provided me with insight into each students’ interests and backgrounds. Through this experience we bridged the gaps of our differences and arrived in the classroom willing to work collaboratively.
I am challenged to imagine what I would have done differently during this experience. Every moment, every student interaction, and every growing pain of my experience contributed to the ability to manage classroom norms and expectations better. The experiences provided me with insight into why structure and transparency are a must, and the invaluable need to connect and build relationships with the students. Without the challenges, pushback of the students, and difficulties in lesson execution, I would not feel as prepared and ready for the next step in my teaching journey.
The students, teachers, and experiences at Greeley Central HS have assisted in the evolution of my teaching philosophy, as well as my personal and professional goals for education. I believe more strongly in the need for social justice and equity within the classroom. 21st century skills are imperative for our students’ success and achievement as they enter the work force and become valuably contributing members of our society. Not every student is college bound and it’s important for us as teachers to recognize this and prepare our students for experiences beyond the classroom. The time I spent in the Greeley Central classrooms has not only defined the way I view education but how I see the world in which we live.