You Are More Prepared than You Think You Are

Throughout your life, you will be told a lot of "truths." Your children grow up too fast. Time seems to pass more quickly as you get older. A good sense of humor will get you through a lot of adversity with your sanity in tact. The most challenging activities are often the most rewarding. After completing the Teaching Certification Program at UTD, you will be prepared to start teaching. Until my first couple of days student teaching, I wasn't so sure about this last one.

At the student teacher orientation, our mentors assured us that we were ready. "This is what you've been working toward," they exclaimed. I sat there, hoping they were right but secretly harboring doubts. My class performance had been good, I tried to commit all the theories (some radically conflicting with each other) to memory, but I just wasn't sure how well it would translate to the classroom. Would I be entering an alien territory with completely new theoretical systems in place that I knew nothing about? Would I be able to command the respect of the students? Would I be able to communicate intelligently with teachers who had a lot more practical experience than I have?

At the end of my first day, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I felt so well-informed about lesson planning (thanks C&I professor!), classroom management (thanks to the professor who "doesn't have a phud after her name"), and professional responsibilities that nothing seemed odd or confusing at all. I did have to ask what a few acronyms stood for, but once the specific item was explained to me, I realized that it was something I already knew about - perhaps just by a different name. I was able to work one-on-one with several students, and it felt natural. This is the one thing that no one can teach you. You can learn theories all day long, but if you don't care about helping students learn and feel comfortable working with them, this isn't the career for you. I left feeling confident that I am supposed to be a teacher. I was even asked to start planning some lessons and teaching as soon as I feel ready. By the end of the day, I thought: "Bring it on!"

I did not blog about my first day because, frankly, I was too tired! I hadn't slept the night before because I was too nervous. I don't recommend this approach. I only sat down once during the day, and that was a change from the daily activity of a college student. I was also scared it was a fluke. Maybe I just thought things were going really well...

Day two went just as well, so I feel safe blogging about it now. Your experience will differ depending on the support and rapport with your cooperating teacher, your classroom, and most of all - YOU. You will get back what you put into the experience, so take it seriously and prepare to work hard. You will be rewarded for your effort.

When I write next week, I hope to feel as positively about the experience. Currently, my only fear is how the assessments by my university supervisor will go. Can someone really pop in 3-4 times and obtain a clear enough picture of my skills to judge my worthiness as a teacher? For now, take my word for it: After completing the Teacher Certification program at UTD, you WILL be ready to teach.  

Savvy Suggestion: Don't merely defer to your coordinating teacher's idea of when you should begin doing what. Let him or her know when you feel ready to take steps forward. It shows initiative and may give you more time to practice your craft.