INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

In my Regent University student teacher experience, there was an incredible amount of

information, and experience gained. We had very specific tasks to complete. In addition to becoming the
teacher for each class, I had two placements- one in Virginia Beach, where I trained as a 5 th grade
teacher, and my second placement in Chesapeake as a 2 nd grade teacher. My experience was beyond
anything I could have imagined, both in my workload, and my experience gained for teaching very
opposite age groups. 5th grade was incredibly easy because I only had to teach Social Studies and
Language Arts. Although the students were older and more independent, the workload was quite easy
in comparison. My 2nd grade class, however, was a whirlwind. From the time school started for the
students, I was teaching every subject, and attempting to keep them engaged, behaved, and staying on
a schedule. I found that the students at this level were much more needy, and it was an experience
trying to teach the simplest things- which actually can be quite difficult when the are second nature for
you.

Over the course of my Student Teaching, I was required to create 5 lesson plans, including a
reflection for each. Lesson plans were expected to meet very specific criteria, as well as the reflections.
Each lesson plan was required to be improved upon, making sure there were enough Cooperative
Strategies. Once I understood, and had resources for Cooperative strategies, I found it to be much more
fun and engaging for the students…but also for myself. It became a challenge that I embraced, and tried
my best to provide multiple strategies, and not just repeating the same one in each lesson. I found that
the students were excited to learn and trying to come up with a new idea made making a lesson plan
more fun for me.

Many of our classes at Regent University were very specific to what I believe were necessary
skills to acquire, but also to become knowledgeable, even if it means being exposed to specific things
and topics. One important experience was learning how to observe and monitor student growth and
development through pre and post assessments, creating a data project, and having a gradebook to
track the progress or lack of progress of various students. Being able to see that growth, or lack of, I am
certain will help me not only meet the needs of my students, but also will help me with Differentiating
strategies. I am guaranteed to have many, or maybe just one, student that will need help learning and
understanding specific material. One example of this, was just the other day in my 2 nd grade class. I have
a student that seems to drift off with math and gets lost very easily. This student also does not ask
questions or indicate that she is lost. I found that working one on one, along with a little tough love,
helped her grasp the information better. It is important to expect more from your students, but also to
realize that they may need extra help along the way. Finding individual or small group time will be
critical, and knowing that you, as an adult, must find ways NOT to express or indicate your frustration
with them is vital to their feeling comfortable to ask for help.

Through this experience, I have learned that I am so much more capable than I could have ever
imagined. There have been more times than I can count, that I just felt defeated to tears, felt
inadequate, and so insecure about my ability to be a teacher. Professionally, I can see how I grew in
taking command with the class, from the experience as a Practicum student for 6 th grade, to teaching in
a 5th grade class, and feeling like I was meant to be there. My experience in completely taking over the
class, following the teachers schedule, and various ways to manage my time and the class, have
prepared me tremendously. I have learned as an educator, that there are so many responsibilities;
academically, spiritually, and emotionally. To impact or change children’s lives, I need to be able to
determine their strengths and weaknesses. I also need to approach each child with the mindset of
helping them learn the best way for them. I was to be the teacher that educates her students with
understanding, discipline, and compassion. I also learned through this experience, that it is vital to not
be prideful and NOT ask for help. This is a new experience, and absorbing all that I can from other
teachers, both in my grade as well as others, will be extremely beneficial.

Finally, one other thing that I learned about myself, is that I am so much more capable than I
ever imagined. Technology has always been a struggle for me, but I have chosen a profession that
continues to depend on technology. From having to do simple things, to figuring things in google docs
and sheets, making graphs and charts, were foreign to me, and I know, through this experience, that the
Lord always pulls me through. This has brought my spiritual life to a different level, and for that I am so,
so thankful that God has been faithful beyond words, and been so evident in my life and my experience.