Final Reflection

First, I would like to say that I have had an amazing experience with the school that I was at. My mentor was the sweetest teacher in the world. Everyday I was there, her and I ate lunch together and that was my favorite time of the day. Her and I were really able to bond and I realized how great it would be to be a teacher. When I started this internship, I was still debating if I should become a teacher or get my Masters in Business. I have loved every minute of teaching and I think that I want to be a teacher now. I know that I would be a great teacher, and Mrs. Pagels has taught me so many things to be a great teacher this semester. I have learned that teachers can really make an impact on young children. It has been so amazing to watch some of the children grow throughout the semester. One girl in the class had Asberger’s disease and I grew such a soft spot for the children. Even after being done with the internship, I am still going to visit them the rest of this semester. I am moving at the end of the month, but if I wasn’t, I would continue to go back as often as I could. I learned that teaching can be one of the most difficult occupations there are. At times, they are very unappreciated and it is not okay. I am glad that I was able to experience being a teacher, if I don’t become a teacher myself. I think it’s good to experience it, so when my children are in school, I am not of those parents who upset the teacher. The main way in which I have grown through this experience is to enjoy children more. I have always liked kids, but I never knew how to talk to them. Frankly, kids used to make me nervous. Now, I am very comfortable around them and I enjoy being with them. There were many skills that I gained also. One of the skills I gained was my communication skill with children. Also, teaching social studies, and certain topics that I knew before, made me work hard. Teaching is very different than learning. I had to apply the things that I have learned and put them to use. I realized that teaching is a good learning tool because you have to really understand it. I was always nervous if the children had a question and I would not know the answer. With that fear, I was very prepared before doing a lesson. Throughout the semester, my lessons grew stronger and I was able to create a fairly good one by the end of the year. My teacher put a lot of trust in me, and I was creating worksheets and tasks for the children to do. And I enjoyed every minute of it, and felt so accomplished. I know this was a positive experience. I am happy to know that I want to be a teacher now. Due to this experience, I am looking into Teach For America, and that was something that I would have never considered before this.