In August of 2019, I started my student teaching journey in the middle school and high

school classrooms at Waverly-South Shore School. I remember looking upon the first day of
school with anticipation and anxiousness. Would my students like me? Would I work well with
my cooperating teachers? Would I fit-in with the staff? I had a lot of “unknowns” going through
my head, but one thing I did know for sure was that I was excited to take this next step. I’m
happy to say that my experience at WSS has been nothing short of spectacular! I developed
relationships with my students, worked amazingly well with my cooperating teachers, and really
felt like part of the staff. Now that we approach the end of the school year, I look back at my
student teaching experience and reflect on the many lessons I learned.
One of the biggest lessons I learned during this experience is how to effectively plan and
manage my time. At first, I spent multiple hours planning really engaging and almost perfect
lessons. However, I learned quickly that I couldn’t sustain that type of commitment. As I started
to take over more classes and as my own coursework kept coming, I realized that I had to cut
back on how much time I spent planning for one lesson. I had to learn how to balance my time
among all areas of my life – work, school, family, and friends. I sat down and constructed a
schedule for myself. I designated time to work on each thing that needed to be done, making lots
of “to-do” lists! I started to take advantage of those 10 minutes at the end of my lunch break.
And I also cut back on how many hours I spent planning. Although we try to be perfect, we have
to remember that we have other responsibilities outside of school, and they deserve our time as
well!
With that being said, I also learned the importance of taking time for myself. I always
used to tell myself that there is no way I could ever stop what I was doing and make time for
myself with such a busy schedule. I always felt that everything else needed to get done first
before I worried about me. However, what I learned was that I could not give my work my best
effort when I was emotionally drained. Once I started taking time to relax at the end of the night
and doing something for ME, I started to feel so much better and more energized the next day. I
felt much more prepared to face the day.
During the beginning of the school year, I took over a section of 6 th grade math on my
own. They were “my kids,” as we felt it would be best to split the group of 24 kids in-half. What
I learned from my 6th graders is that you are going to have good days and bad days. But no
matter what, they still love you! Apologize when you have a bad day. I learned it’s best to
acknowledge the fact that you had an off-day than to ignore it and try to move on. Your kids will
appreciate it when you apologize to them, and they will be much more likely to show you more
respect. Celebrate your good days but learn from the bad days!
My 6th graders also taught me a lot about classroom management. To be honest, they
could be quite the handful at times. I tried many, many different management techniques to see
what would work and what wouldn’t. What I learned through that experience was to be
consistent. It wasn’t maybe the best idea to try so many different things. I think I would have
been better off to stick to a couple procedures and be consistent than to try a quick fix every two
weeks.
 My time at WSS also prepared me for tough situations. I quickly learned that even in a
small, rural school district, students come from all different backgrounds and economic statuses.
I learned to be patient, to be loving, and to always show those students that I was there for them.
I learned how to approach these students differently than I would my other students, without
being unfair. I learned how I could best fit their needs and accommodate. I also learned how to
deal with tough parent situations on top of all that. What needs to be remembered is that teachers
and parents are all on the same side, and both want what is best for the student. Make sure to
listen to them and try to put yourself in their shoes. Be patient and compassionate and try your
best to come to a compromise. Don’t leave any hard feelings out in the open. And always tell the
administration of any conflicts!
Lastly, I learned not to take time in the classroom for granted. As COVID-19 started to
spread in our area and schools were shut down, I realized how deeply I loved and cared for my
kids, and how much I miss them. It hurts my heart to know that I will not get a proper goodbye
with the students. I hope that they know just how much they mean to me and how much they
helped me to grow as a teacher. They will always and forever be in my hearts!
There are so many big and little things I learned from Waverly-South Shore. I couldn’t
have done it without the support of the whole staff and community, especially my cooperating
teachers. They were phenomenal throughout the whole experience and were always there for me
when I needed them. I really couldn’t have asked for a better student teaching experience. It is
truly an experience I will always remember. Thank you WSS and DSU for this phenomenal
educational opportunity. I cannot wait to continue to grow as an educator!