Too Much To Learn: CP II Reflection Week 3

Another week down, another week closer to my credential, another week of great learning opportunities. There is so much to be involved in and to learn.

This week more than ever before, I feel as though I am getting more of a glimpse to the entire job of a teacher. Teaching is more than just in the classroom. There are meetings upon meetings, professional development opportunities, and always politics.

I am also enjoying talking with one of my cooperating teachers and co-planning the lessons. With his experience and my fresh out of the credential program ideas, it is the best combination for creating student-centered, fun to teach lessons! I can see our students enjoying math (well, as much as they can enjoy math) and learning at the same time.

Another great learning point I’ve learned from this recent week has been that reflecting on lessons are great when you have someone else to talk about them with you. For example, this past Friday we planned a lesson, implemented it, and then reflected on what I could do better or notes to keep in mind for next time. Reflecting and discussing the lesson with my cooperating teacher, teacher to teacher, was very eye-opening. Just as PLC meetings and collaborating with others is a way to see someone else’s point of view about the planning of instruction, reflecting with another person after the lesson is also very beneficial. As I write this, I now think about how I will not have this opportunity when I get my own classroom. It will be just me and me only with the students and no one else to help me reflect on my lesson. It’s really too bad the reflecting with another knowledgeable teacher will just last until the end of this semester.

As you can see, there is so very much going on, as I’m sure it is with all of you teacher candidates out there! I am not sure how I keep it all straight. There is too much to think about and too much to learn. End of story.