Ready, Set, Go!

On Monday, my student teacher or field experience begins. I am anxious to get started! I have enjoyed meeting with my mentor teacher to get to know one another a little and to begin planning for the eight weeks we will work together. I have created an idea file and downloaded apps to my iPad, organized materials to use for centers and pulled together text sets of books. This weekend I will organize my school bag and select my clothes for the very first day. And Sunday night, I'll probably be too nervous to sleep.

Stay tuned for updates from the road. ;)

Uncharted Territory

Since completing my formal coursework and successfully passing the Praxis exam, I've been coasting a bit these first weeks of the semester. It's been nice to have some time for family and friends, to focus on my position as a paraprofessional, and to just have time to rest and relax. But in just a few weeks, I'll be headed into uncharted territory as I begin my field experience. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to diversify my experiences in special education by working in a setting radically different from the one in which I currently work. I'm looking forward to all I will learn  in this new environment, but it will be difficult leaving the comfort of my current school where I feel most confident.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet and observe some of the students with whom I will work. In fact, I was able to sit in with one of the reading groups and as a result,  have been busy creating activities for use during my time working with them. Trying to find a balance between meeting their needs and creating age appropriate activities is one challenge I will face in my new environment. I've also been doing some reading which is challenging my thinking about teaching reading to older students. As I make preparations for the next leg of my journey, I'm already looking forward to being a Wildcat for eight weeks and getting to know my new students so I can help them move closer toward reaching their academic and personal goals.  It's daunting to thinking about moving into uncharted territory, but I have my support team, a capable navigator, and believe I have been prepared for this moment. I'm sure there will be many unexpected twists and turns during my field experience, but I also know I'll be changed for the better. After all, the best adventures have a way of doing that.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. 
- Martin Luther King Jr.

The Road Is Long

In just a few weeks, I will mark some significant milestones on the first leg of my journey to realizing my life-long goal of becoming a teacher -  I will have completed all of the course work for my masters program and have taken the Praxis exam. Then, it's on to the second leg as I do my student teaching in the fall and plan to graduate in December. 


It's hard to believe it was only four years ago I stepped out on faith and left my corporate job to embark on this life-changing journey. I continue to learn so much about self, my students, and what being a teacher is really all about. 


Check back often as I continue my journey for the road is long with many a winding turn.....