Wow, I cannot believe my 491 practicum is coming to a close! In the past 10 weeks I have learned and grown so much as an educator! Life long learning has been at the center of all I do and I have committed to my #oneword2021 DISCOVER! during 491, I sought out as many learning opportunities as possible (shadowing other teachers, collaborating, professional development, continued learning, and much more). In the end, I surpassed all of the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of 491. I am confident to enter the field as an educator and I cannot wait to continue learning and growing as my career begins!
What did I learn in 491?
My big learning in 491 was my voice and confidence as an educator. I feel like I moved beyond being a teacher candidate and started to act and think like a confident educator. I found my voice and grew my abilities. As the weeks of 491 progressed, my coaching teacher and principal started to leave me alone in the classroom. They felt I was at the point in my education that I was able to run the classroom by myself. I cannot begin to explain how exciting this was! I taught full days every day from day 1 and began to teach more and more solo days! I was able to acheive this because my pracitcum experience was so supportive and nurtoring! My coaching teacher was always close by and ready to offer guidance and assistance as I needed. As I was granted more indepence, I began to experiement with my pedagogy and try out new things in the classroom. I tried out new ways of assessing throughout my practicum and even developed and created my own CSL’s. I was able to teach full units, assess, and report back to students and parents about their learning.
I also learned how to form deep and meaningful connections with my students. As this practicum was longer, I was able to really get to know my students and build trust and relationships. the growth I saw in my students was powerful and I really felt like I understood each and every one of them. We got to share so many exciting learnings together as I informed them about my education and how I was striving to be a teacher. I was open and shared my own learning with the students, which allowed me to have great conversations.
What are your next steps?
So where to next? Now that 491 is ending, it is time to start looking forward. During 491 I interviewed for positions within District 57. I am happy to say I was offered my first teaching contract within the district! This was a powerful moment for me and a great way to end my 491 practicum. With nothing but amazing feedback from my coaching teacher and practice evaluator, I feel ready and confident to begin my career as educator.
I want to continue working on professional development and seeking out those authentic learning opportunities. I want to continue to discover and utilize new resources. Finally, I want to continue growing and building connections with all of my future students.