Educators contribute to the profession.
It feels odd to say this early on in the program that I feel as though I have contributed to the profession of education, however, my experience in EDUC 391 Experiential Practicum left me with a sense of fulfillment and happiness that I had left a type of legacy at my placement school. I had several instances throughout my three-weeks where I had other teachers or faculty within the elementary school approach me and tell me that they liked what I had done in the lesson with their class, or that the website that I found was fantastic and that they would like to use it in the future. There are no words for how those comments make me feel, being able to be the person to show seasoned educators something new and interesting that they can grab on to for their own use.
The moment that stands out to me most was the day that my Coaching Teacher sat down to debrief with me after a story time with Kindergarten students. It would have been in my first week of practicum so at this point I was still feeling very unsure as to how I would be performing only two days into my practice. My Coaching Teacher told me that she loved how I engaged the students before telling them the story, and how I gave them a purpose for listening by outlining certain elements to look out for. She said that in all her time of being a Teacher-Librarian she had never thought that a storytime with students so young could still act as a lesson, even without any formal activity or work to do afterwards besides an engaging conversation. I was flattered and took that as a sign to keep doing what I was doing.
The next day another Kindergarten class came into the library, but this time it was my CT’s turn to do storytime. I had seen her do them before and figured that I knew what to expect, but this time was different. She sat down and immediately engaged the students with telling them why she liked the story and told them about parts of the story to look out for while she read to them. She followed my structure. A person who had been in this profession for over thirty years took what I did and made it her own. I was astounded that what I had done had been able to better her career and teach her something, and furthermore benefit the students. For the rest of my practicum experience I saw this again, and again, with the different types of lessons I was doing. I was pulled aside by classroom teachers and told that they had never thought to do a lesson in such a way and that they would be trying out my methods.
These experiences throughout my practicum meant so much to me because it made me feel like I was there for a reason, that teaching is where I am supposed to be. It also showed me that by just teaching the way I have learned and feels natural is inspirational to other teachers. I feel as though what I have to offer has the power to influence the teaching structures and methods of those around me.
This is only a taste of Standard 8, however I believe that when I graduate from the program and become a teacher, settle into a class, and get a few years under my belt, I have the ability to become an amazing Teacher-Leader. My experiences have given me the confidence to feel as though I can lead workshops in the future to help guide other teachers towards new ways of teaching. I can become a teacher to teachers and contribute to the profession of education.
