Nervous Student

[Theresa Grimsley]

I am in my final semester of classes and I have to admit that I'm nervous about beginning my practicum in the next several weeks. It is somewhat unnerving to know that I'll be observed and evaluated by teachers and a university faculty member. I have a habit of always striving for perfection - something I've worked hard against this summer...learning to chill and let some things go...to choose my battles, as my professor said today. The thing is, perfection isn't possible and I need to also remember that I'm not expected to be perfect. I'm expected to do the best I can for my students while meeting curriculum requirements and that is definitely my plan.

I'm also super excited to start my practicum....the catch 22....I'm looking forward to being back in a classroom of students and I'm ready for the hectic schedule, the massive amounts of energy and curiosity. I find it all just....well, wonderful. I love being with the kids.

Other things are stressing me out this semester as well, such as taking the Praxis 2 and the fact that next semester I'll be student teaching and for an entire year after that, I'll be "under the gun," so to speak. You would think universities would better prepare students for all of this. I don't mean by letting them know what it coming....we find that out one way or another and generally "through the grapevine...." but I mean by helping us mentally prepare. To prepare for the stresses and give us tips and strategies for coping with them. Also, not waiting until the last semester of classes to expose us to things like the student teacher assessment (here in KY they assess us based on the Kentucky Teachers Standards). While I knew what they were, I'd never seen the form and to see something like that is helpful in mental preparation. I think teachers know that and that is why rubrics are created for students. It's the same concept here.

Luckily I've had a few great professors who have shown me things like this and I have to admit, from what I heard today in one of my methods classes, UK is doing a better job than some other schools in prepping teachers. Apparently some universities aren't teaching students how to write lesson plans and this is really hurting them during assessment.

I hope when I get out there I have a good support group. I also hope I get a supportive and encouraging cooperative teacher this semester. I've had great ones and terrible ones in previous classes. There is nothing like the advice of an experienced teacher and I appreciate the advice and strategies I am given.

I'm trying to remind myself that every teacher goes through the same jitters. I'm trying to chill and go with the flow, knowing that I'm doing the best I can.

Hopefully all the hard work will pay off and I do a great job as a teacher. This is something I've wanted to do my whole life and it has taken pratically half my life to get to this point. Any advice would be greatly...and I mean GREATLY appreciated.

[Theresa Grimsley]

Thanks so much for your feedback, Leigh! I really appreciate it. It's somewhat comforting to know that the nervousness is common. I love the idea that you've been teaching for 5 years and are "still learning." That is one of my goals as a teacher. I want to learn all the time and I want my students to feel they will be learners and teachers, just as I will be.

I also appreciate the idea of modeling behavior. Children definitely learn much better when they can demonstrate what they know. So if a student is able to act out good behavior for the class, then they are all more likely to remember what is appropriate. I know a S.S. teacher who has his students model good/bad behavior during the first week of class and he says they enjoy it and they learn from it as well.

Thanks again!

[Leigh Newton]

Yes, it's a big leap when you leave uni. Wow, words of advice? Umm, expect to find it really hard, but don't forget that you'll come through that. I was a sucker who did a 12mth course on the end of a B.Sc. No, it didn't prepare me, but even when I completed a B.Ed many years later I still wasn't prepared. (I took 25 years off with songwriting and entertaining and returning was still traumatic.) It's now 5 years later and I'm still learning everyday. What did I learn today? Umm... that we need to be modelling good and bad behaviour again. Modelling and acting is a strong way of teaching and learning.

You'll certainly never be bored! I'm in a PYP school and I was as proud as can be with my students when they graduated from primary with their Exhibition last year. They had many more skills than I could have dreamed of when I was 10/11. There are many many joys.