Revisiting a Reflection from Pre-Student Teaching

Oh boy, let’s look at what I was thinking when I taught my very first lesson. I was so nervous and it hadn’t occurred to me till the day before that this was going to be my first lesson.

Revisiting a Reflection from Pre-Student Teaching

Oh boy, let’s look at what I was thinking when I taught my very first lesson. I was so nervous and it hadn’t occurred to me till the day before that this was going to be my first lesson.

The Reflection

This was the first full lesson I taught. While it isn’t my favorite lesson in terms of content, it is significant to me in that it is the first full lesson I’ve ever taught.  I can take as many classes on teaching as I want and as I need, but nothing compares to actually teaching for learning how to teach. The time flew by quickly and we covered more than I expected, but thankfully my mentor teacher recommended that I watch part of the movie in order to take up the rest of the time. Although my education classes had told me to always have a back up plan, I hadn’t expected to run through my back up plan as well. I think as I progress through pre-student teaching, as well as student teaching in the Fall, I will become better both at estimating how much time activities will take and with coming up with extra activities in the moment.

While teachers often complain about having papers to grade, I was eager to look at the student reading responses, because it was the first chance I had to see how the students responded to my teaching. They understood the concept and wrote well thought out responses, but that is probably to be expected from an honors class. I am looking forward to the rest of these 6 weeks and all that I get to learn.

My Thoughts Now

            It wasn’t the most glamorous start to my teaching career, but it was a start and I’m very thankful for it. I tried memorializing it in my memory, but it didn’t feel particularly special or momentous. Instead it just felt right. It started my journey as a teacher and it felt appropriate that this is what I wanted to do for so long and I was finally doing it. Since that day I’ve taught many more lessons and I’ve read a lot of papers, but no matter the lesson I don’t feel particularly nervous, unless I’m being observed, or particularly excited, unless the students themselves are excited. Don’t get me wrong, I still love reading and writing, but I don’t romanticize my lessons thinking that they will permanently change lives.

How about you?

           

Have you ever reflected on your lessons? Do you remember the first lesson you ever taught?

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Image Credit: "The Thinker." by Gaby Av