Below is my final reflection on the ECS 100 placement.
The Last Day
The last day of class was sad, the students seeming to forget that today was the last day, not realizing that this may be the last time we see them in their lives. Promising to visit them was difficult because when would I have time? Would they remember me in a couple months? How could I ever forget them, they truly inspired me to reach out and make the most out of opportunities that I had been given.
Throughout my experience I was both challenged and engaged. Challenging my mindset and perspectives of teaching and ways of teaching that I had known prior. This opportunity pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the zone of being a teacher. It allowed me to step out of what I believed was comfort and bring a new side of relationships and connections to my life. I met so many people and bonded with many of the students and leaving behind those bonds are hard. Knowing there is a divide in privileges within the classroom, the children continued to treat everyone as equals. Will their socialization continue to hide these privileges or will they recognize it and bring awareness to it?
Everything is connected, how we see, feel, hear and know. The students were a great example of showing how these connections are made. Their brains small but holding so much knowledge from what they saw on TV last night to what their sight words were a month ago. From the beginning to the end of this placement I saw these students grow, learning new information in the classroom and connecting their lives to it. Showing how their social lives at home and in the classroom affected how they learned and the ways they learn best. Seeing how within our classrooms the change from strict, dominant classes in the 1920s to a more inclusive, diverse work area for students has allowed a growth within the roles of education.
I hope that someday my goal of being the best teacher I can possibly be is challenged and steps me more out of the comfort I have found. I believe that with great opportunities a new perspective can be born. Upon my opportunity I wish I had learned more about teaching in high school, rather than an elementary perspective. Are there other teaching methods that high school teachers have over elementary? Or are they simply the same? I am hoping that throughout my journey I am able to grow into the position of a teacher and be willing to dive into new comforts that continue to challenge myself. To learn more about ways of teaching and not just what I am teaching.