Dear Dr.

English, Theres not much I could think of to add to my deep map; most of what I have learned this semester cant really be expressed in a picture. Im not even sure I can express it well in words. However, before I get to that, I will tell you about what I managed to add to my map. The first and most significant is a mirror. This drawing represents two things I have learned this semester: the importance of reflective practice and the idea of the teacher being a mirror to the student. Both you and Dr. Weaver stressed reflective practice in your classes. Ive never had to think so much about what I had done and learned. However, I think it has made me a better lifelong learner. For the most part, I always treated school assignments as complete after I handed them in. This semester I have learned that reflecting on the assignment can be more enlightening than doing the assignment itself. The best example I can think of for this is when I reflected on teaching my lessons, both in 405 and at my practicum. It showed me that something can always be made better, even after the fact. Although papers and school projects are usually done when you turn them in, thats not how real life works. If you dont do something to your satisfaction or if what you planned didnt quite work out, you can often go back and improve it. This is so important as a teacher because I will be recycling lessons year after year and hopefully each year they will get better. In Dr. Weavers class we learned about the theory of the other self. The other self knows things about a piece of writing that the self either subconsciously knows or is only beginning to understand. Evidence of the other self crops up in writing. It is the teachers job to act as the students other self until the student is capable of seeing what the other self sees on their own. This process is like a mirror because the teacher is simply mirroring what the student already knows at some level. This is a great way to conference with students because you dont risk appropriating their writing as the ideas you are telling them are already present. In Dr. Weavers class we also spent a lot of time discussing process over product methodology. In the past, teachers would assign papers, collect them on the due date, and grade them. There was no intervention during the writing process. Students didnt ever get any writing instruction in this method of teaching. Today we know that it is crucial to guide students through the whole writing process. They need attention at each step in order to become good writers. Along with process over product pedagogy, we talked about grading to encourage revision. Dr. Weaver would let us revise a paper as many times as we wanted in order to get the grade we wanted. This is something I plan to do in my own classes. This shows students that writing doesnt end when you turn in the paperyou can always make it better. Finally, I have a wheel with an X through it to represent this advice: dont reinvent the wheel. At the beginning of this semester, I was frustrated with having to refer to the theory books to write our lesson plans. I wanted to do everything on my own so my lesson would be unique. Ive found that it doesnt have to be completely original to be a unique lesson. Other educators have some great ideas that I can tweak to make my own. Learning this will surely save me some time in the future!

One of the scariest things about this semester for me was working more closely with high school students. I was terrified of them! I thought I would mess everything up during my lesson at Branson and they would notice and think I was a bad teacher. However, quite the opposite happened. I didnt really mess anything up and the students were extremely nice to me! It felt very natural for me being up in front of the class, although I did have some trouble with classroom management. In Dr. Weavers class, we created a writing assignment that was completed by a Greenwood freshman and an Honors 110 student. We conferenced with them after they had completed their rough drafts. I felt completely useless when I was talking to my students. I didnt think anything I was saying to them was helpful. However, in addition to completing our assignments, Dr. Weaver also had the students write us letters. I was so touched by what the students had to say about me. It turns out what I said did help them. The Greenwood student was an English language learner and she really appreciated how I explained things a different way when she didnt understand the first time. The 110 student was encouraged by my kindnessshe told me she knew I was going to be a great teacher because she could tell how much I cared. This brings us to the most important thing I gained this semester: confidence. Im still anxious about student teaching, but I now know that I will be able to do it. For the first time, I see myself as a teacher instead of a student. I think what really solidified this was the feedback I got from students. It has showed me that even if I think Im doing a bad job, Im probably being too harsh on myself. My professors have also helped immensely. Dr. English, in your feedback you have always been sure to tell me how great of a job I did. Dr. Jim Baumlin wrote me a student teaching recommendation letter that almost brought me to tearshe wrote that he would choose me for an English teacher if he was a high schooler. Dr. Weaver has also helped immensely through her encouragement and support. I know I made a lot of mistakes this semester, but overall it has been a success. I dont feel ready to student teach, but Im not sure that anyone does. Teaching is something that you have to learn on the job. No matter how much theory or classroom management you learn, you can never know what works until you have your own class. I can say that I am excited to get started which is much better than the feeling of dread I had in the past. I look forward to making connections with the students and other teachers I will work with. Thank you so much for this semester Dr. English. It has been the hardest of my college career, but I have also learned more than ever before. There were times when I felt like giving up, but I never didIm sure I will have similar feelings in the future, but now I know I can make it through. I would never have learned how strong I am if I had not been in your class. I apologize again for missing the pot-luck! I would have enjoyed seeing everyone one last time. Have an amazing Christmas! Jessie Robey