End of the semester?!

I cannot believe we're almost at the end! It literally makes my head hurt to think that exams are right around the corner and I'm on the fast track to starting my senior year. As scary as that is it's also SO exciting! I'm one step closer to standing in front of my very own classroom of students. My observations for this class have been some of the best I've ever had through my education classes at Meredith. Ms. Bradley (a 2nd grade teacher at NRE) was so helpful and was clearly adored by her students. She always made time in her (hectic!) schedule to answer my (endless!) questions and make sure I was getting what I needed. I know they say that everything becomes easier with experience but Ms. Bradley is still so young and yet seemed to have everything together. She was definitely a great role model and I am very appreciative of the time I spent in her classroom.

It was almost scary how well my observations correlated with what we were discussing in class. We would talk about literature circles and then the next week I would be watching as a group of eager 2nd graders navigated the ins-and-outs of lit circles! Or the week we watched the video on writer's workshop... that very week I observed an hour of text-book writer's workshop in the classroom, and the success it can facilitate. I learned a lot of great information from the textbook (how to implement reading workshop, the ups and downs of the writing process, and "what the heck is a word wall?!" to name a few...) but to be honest it's no where near the same to read about something as it is to see it in action! It was so beneficial to observe a real classroom and real students tackling the different techniques I was learning about. Not to put too romantic a point on it but I think I won the observation jackpot.

Additionally, I have decided I love literature circles and writer's workshop. These tools can be so beneficial in the classroom and, when used correctly, they keep students engaged. They also allow for students to move at their own paces and promote success for each student as an individual learner. Seeing such a diverse range of students and abilities in one class just solidified for me the need to tailor learning so that each student is getting the most he or she possibly can from the experience. I know that not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows but I'm ready for this challenge because I've seen what kind of successes can come from it. Our students deserve good teachers. And I just want to be a good teacher. :)