Practicum Stories

The best things about the practicum:

At the beginning of my first lesson, I gave the students apple shape sticky notes to write their names and something about themselves that they would like me to know. Then, I put the notes up on the board to demonstrate the pythagorean theorem of a 3, 4, 5 triangle. So, for every apple note of their personal info, which formed the two squares of the legs of the triangle, I gave them a heart that formed the big square on the hypotenuse. This activity demonstrated the math we were learning and provided me with valuable information about the students. Reading their feedback later at home, was touching and reminded me of the reasons that I wanted to teach; it is the kids and their wonderful take on life. One particular note said: 'I am a good kid and I am looking forward to learning from you. Thank you for your future help.'

The other best thing about the practicum was to see so many different teaching styles. For me, it was a long time ago since I was in high school. Also,  as corny as this may sound 'you get better with practice' - it is true. Actually teaching a few lessons and seeing how much you learn each time is fascinating. It also reduces pressure on us thinking that we have to be awesome right away, this was a good opportunity to see that is not true. So, the microteaching experience showed that our talent can come through once we have had some practice and not expect to have flawless lessons right from the start.

I realized how important this job is and how many lives you touch as a teacher. The work with kids is so delicate and constant reflection is necessary. The connection with kids is hard to explain, amazing.