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Gabriella Erestain

Dr. Flannagan

UED 496.01

April 15, 2024

Reflection on Weeks 13 and 14

Week 13 was VBCPS’ spring break, which allowed me a few days to detach from

teaching. During the last couple days of the break, I focused on creating lesson plans for the

upcoming classes. This included turning the literary analysis essay into a final draft and starting

the Julius Caesar lessons. It was very nice to have some time to myself, for it was the first time

in a long time that I felt like my own person. Instead of wearing the identity of a student teacher,

I remembered what it was like to be a daughter, cousin, friend, and girlfriend.

Week 14 taught me to spend ample time pacing each unit. The completion of the literary

essay was extended because of spring break, and students had to take two division assessments

when they came back. Of course, teachers never know how a lesson will go until they teach it;

however, I learned that it would have been best for the students to have completed their essay

before the break. By doing this, it would have been easier to begin the next unit and start the

week with a clean slate.

When I become a teacher, I will use my pacing guide and ask my grade level department

to explain how they pace each of their units. At PAHS, the tenth-grade teachers use the Virginia

Beach Landing Page as a reference for their units and standards, but they are free to teach them

in whichever order or length they think is best for their students. I enjoy the freedom of being
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able to adjust my lessons based on my students’ needs, but I also need guidance on how to work

my lessons around holidays, absences, and requests from the division.

At the end of Week 14, I began teaching Julius Caesar. Although I have read this play

multiple times, and I love William Shakespeare, I have encountered many difficulties. I have

received many resources from other teachers, but I am ultimately creating all my lessons from

scratch. Being an English major and learning about Backwards Design has helped me with the

lesson planning process, for I can easily read each scene of the play, reference the standards and

other teachers’ resources, and determine what I want my students to learn.

A large concern of mine before I began my placement at PAHS was that I was not smart

enough to teach high schoolers. However, I am learning that it is easy for me to quickly review

the content and be the expert of the classroom. Having been trained on the foundational aspects

of writing an essay, analyzing literature, and writing a proper lesson has engrained in me the

necessary skills to make lesson plans quickly and on my own.

As I finish my time at PAHS, I primarily want to focus on building relationships with my

students and sharing my passion for English. It is very evident with both my Core and Honors

students that they are quite apathetic towards English. Even though they may not love the content

and the day-to-day schoolwork, I want them to enjoy being in my class because of the passion

and love I have for both them and the subject.