Five Things I Learned During My Student Teaching Experience

Well, it's over. It's really over. I spent four months in the final phase of the licensure process as a student teacher at William Henry Harrison High School. Here are five things I learned while working with the students at the school:

Even the best kids will let you down

It didn't take me long to figure out that sometimes students just won't like or respect you. I understand that it's not my job to be their friend or to be liked, but I did want their respect. In some cases, I didn't get that respect, even though I did everything I could to earn it. There were a couple students who really trashed me to other students, and I won't lie - it really hurt. They had no idea how much I really cared (and still care) about their success. It just goes to show that even the best students will let you down.

But sometimes the students will surprise you

On my last day at Harrison, one student brought me two squirrels ready to cook and eat. Yes, I know this seems odd, but it was a true gift, and it was made even more special because of the person who gave it to me. This student didn't always see eye-to-eye with me, even though I have a huge amount of respect for him. It meant a lot that he brought me this gift. It was special - and yes, extremely funny.

Methods development

I wasn't always able to teach to my style. I favor group activities and technical presentations over straight lecture, especially on some of the difficult material I was teaching the freshmen. I had to make adjustments based on lack of time and experience. That will change. I need to do a better job of making history interesting to my students, and I need to learn how to do it in a way that fits who I am as a teacher. I'll get there.

Keep improving

Sometimes things won't work. For example, I think I gave my students too much material for Chapter 12. While they were smart enough to handle it, I must do a better job with putting together material that is concise and easy to understand. I think I did that with the Chapter 13 stuff. I'll be looking forward to getting some feedback on that when they return from their holiday break.

Let the bad slide off your back

It didn't take me long to discover that I'm not always going to be on my game. Recently, I was losing my voice in class, and I had a group of students in the back who were laughing at my suddenly deep voice tone. There were other days when I came to school with no energy, and I had to find a way to survive through all seven bells. Sometimes the kids picked me up, and there were other times when we all just suffered through it together. The key thing I learned was to not let those negatives hold me back. I can honestly tell you that my students got my best effort every day I was at Harrison. Sure, I made my mistakes, but I never let them hold me back. I hope they saw that. I hope they saw a teacher that loved being there with them.

Overall, I have no regrets about my experience at Harrison High School. The administrators, faculty, and students all treated me well. I hope they enjoyed my presence in their school because I certainly enjoyed being there.