Blog Post - 8/12/24

As summer comes to a close and as a new semester dawns, I find myself in new uncharted territory. Student teaching will be a whole new experience to me and I find myself becoming reflective as I prepare to begin this new step in my journey. 

1) What Inspired Me To Become a Teacher? 

For me, it started at the beginning of my Senior year of High School. I had a class called Environmental Science with Mr. Galusha. In that class, we had a project where in a group we would look at the pros and cons of different energy sources, then try to argue in front of a panel about why we believe our source is good or bad. The groups did not have designated leaders, however I did not realize that I ended up taking charge throughout the process. At the end of it, Mr. Galusha came to me and asked me if I considered ever becoming a teacher because of how well I led my group to a successful panel. That moment stuck with me, and made me truly consider education as a career for the first time. 

2) What Legacy Do I Hope To Leave Behind? 

This is a tough question for me to answer. We can never truly know what our futures may hold, so I have always been hesitant to think about what kind of world I would leave behind - as a person, and as an educator. My best well thought out answer is I hope as a teacher, I can show students the importance of empathy and understanding for their peers. I also want to leave behind a legacy of better critical thinking. Students need to understand how important it is to get by in our world if you're able to read between the literal and metaphorical lines, and without that skill they run the risk of falling for misinformation and manipulation by some not good people. The last part of my legacy that I hope to leave behind is demonstrating to them how dedication to something you care about is the first step in following your dreams, and with said dedication you allow yourself to become as successful as you can possibly be. 

3) What Actions and Mindsets Will Be Needed During Student Teaching? 

Starting with actions that are needed, the most important one is time management. This does not just mean getting work done on time, though that is important. It includes how to balance professional and individual time. While ST is the most important thing this semester by far, it is also important that we take time to take care of ourselves and still enjoy the things that we love. Shutting yourself out from the world while student teaching is not a good idea at all and cause a spiral that can impact you on a professional level. 

Another action that is needed is building healthy habits. Sleep schedule, diet, and exercise are all key here, but an understated one that gets ignored far too often is coping mechanisms. This is going to be an extremely stressful semester, and we have to develop healthy and effective ways in which we manage that stress. Going back to my previous point, avoiding a spiral that can arise from extreme stress is, in my opinion, the most important thing we must do when student teaching. 

With mindsets, the one I find myself coming back to (and for very good reason) is keeping an open mind about every single part of the student teaching process. With students, we must keep an open mind and see why they do things the way they do so we can reach them and work with them more effectively. With cooperating teachers and peers, we must keep an open mind so we can understand why they may plan differently, and to avoid conflict from differences of opinions.