My First Classroom
As promised... here are some pictures of my first classroom. It still needs some work!
Becoming a Teacher…How it Started
Junior year of high school, adults in my life were telling me it was time to research colleges and to choose a career path. Though I already felt like an adult I thought it was to soon to really grow up. I wasn’t ready to think about my future and make such an important decision so fast. I still wanted to have fun and enjoy my friends and high school. The time to apply to college came to quick, unsure of what I wanted to do I chose to start the process of becoming a special education teacher.
You might ask why I decided to pick teaching as my career. Well, there are a few reasons. In high school I helped organize an event called the Special Olympics. On this day children with special needs took part in fun activities with my peers who had volunteered their time. Every year I had so much fun on this day. There were blow up rides, face painting, dancing, and other different activities. It was a good time. Taking part in this day helped me realize that treating children with special needs as “normal” made them feel special. To see the smiles on hundreds of children’s faces made me feel good. Also in high school, I volunteered for a week at an overnight camp. The campers had special needs and like the Special Olympics there were many fun activities to take part in at camp. There was all kinds of activities going on all day for the entire week, at the end of camp no one wanted to leave. These two high school experiences were the main reasons why I decided to become a special education teacher. Other reasons why I choose to be a teacher were: to follow in my dad’s footsteps (he’s a high school teacher), I could remember how my elementary teachers mad me feel and I wanted to have the same impact on children, and I thought teaching was simple (later in life I would realize teaching isn’t that easy).
Fast forward to college! I attended St. Joseph’s and participated in fieldwork , student teaching, observations, and teacher exams. During these experiences I spent a lot of time in classrooms and with children. I can remember coming home and telling my family about my day and how much I enjoyed spending time with the students. The cooperating teachers I worked with were all really helpful and gave me insight on what teaching was like. I really started to like the idea that I was becoming a teacher. I wanted to help make a difference in the lives of children, even if it was a small difference.
Throughout my undergraduate experience I made some good friends. We were always there for each other. We gave each other moral support when things got tough and we were study/homework buddies for exams and papers. St. Joe’s was intense and my professors really prepared me to be a teacher, even though at the time I didn’t think so. During those four years I really realized teaching isn’t so easy, and I didn’t even have my own classroom yet!
Then graduation came…though St. Joe’s taught me a lot I still felt as though I wasn’t ready to start my career. I didn’t want to grow up. I was scared and nervous, not to mention petrified. So in order to stall I decided to go to grad school. I attend Touro and realized I was ahead of my classmates. My teacher certifications were almost complete and I had already learned most of the material that I was studying in class. For grad school I also had to complete fieldwork and student teaching hours but because I had so many certification exams complete my hours were reduced. Though grad school was similar to undergrad it did have its differences. I didn’t have many friends to help me through grad school. Those friends that I did make were helpful but since I accomplished so much at St. Joe's I was often the one helping instead of the one being helped, which I didn’t mind at all because I enjoy helping others. The guidance of advisors and professors wasn't like that of my undergraduate program. I just started to feel as though I was slowly walking into the “real world”.
So grad school was almost over. The previous summer I had sent out my resume to at least fifty schools and went on two interviews but hadn’t heard anything. That summer I also taught a week math prep course for a Catholic School entrance exam. My first actual teaching experience! I was scared at first but got through it.
Fear started to set in again, what was the next step in my life? There was no more stalling I could do after graduation this time. Though I was scared I decided to start taking the steps to become a substitute teacher (I always said I didn’t want to be a substitute teacher. I would have rather have started my career with my own classroom so I could prep and organize myself). After researching and completing the process to become a sub I found myself stalling again. The school I was student teaching in was eager to get my file number but I was hesitating. Since I am a paranoid and organized freak I kept telling myself I needed to make my own lesson plans, incase a teacher didn’t leave anything, before I started working. This just gave me a reason to not peruse subbing; I didn’t feel I was ready. Little did I know I was ready my nerves were just getting the best of me.
One day a number I did not recognized was calling me during the day. It was the school I student taught in asking me if had my file number. Immediately I started getting nervous and I was thinking how I shouldn’t have answered the phone. My body started sweating because of all the nerves. I was so scared but I forced myself to say yes. On the other side of the line I heard "Great would like to come in tomorrow?" It felt like I took years to answer because so many questions were running though my head.
Am I ready for this?
What am I going to teach?
What if I don't know the principal walks into my class?
Will I be prepared?
I said yes and asked what grade I would be covering for the day. The secretary told me the class number. The class I would be subbing in just so happened to be the class I student taught in. Suddenly I felt like a weight was lifted over my shoulders. I felt comfortable because I knew how the teachers managed the class and I was familiar with the students and paraprofessionals. That day went well and the school has called me to sub ever since…so hear I am today a substitute teacher!!!!
If you are interested check out my Teachers pay Teachers site for worksheets, lessons and other teacher materials I have made.
One day a number I did not recognized was calling me during the day. It was the school I student taught in asking me if had my file number. Immediately I started getting nervous and I was thinking how I shouldn’t have answered the phone. My body started sweating because of all the nerves. I was so scared but I forced myself to say yes. On the other side of the line I heard "Great would like to come in tomorrow?" It felt like I took years to answer because so many questions were running though my head.
What if I don't know the principal walks into my class?
Will I be prepared?
I said yes and asked what grade I would be covering for the day. The secretary told me the class number. The class I would be subbing in just so happened to be the class I student taught in. Suddenly I felt like a weight was lifted over my shoulders. I felt comfortable because I knew how the teachers managed the class and I was familiar with the students and paraprofessionals. That day went well and the school has called me to sub ever since…so hear I am today a substitute teacher!!!!
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