With the elementary school year ending, my first internship is finally at its end. For the past five months, I have been volunteering at the local arts and international studies elementary school. As some education majors in college will know, this is required for graduation and depending on your school, you can have one, two or three semesters of internships.

For this semester, my first internship required me to spend two full days in a general education classroom. This meant I would arrive when my CT (Cooperating Teacher) arrived at school and leave when she would as well - this typically meant a 7:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. day.

During this semester, I was required to write and implement three whole class lesson plans, three mini-lesson plans, seven English Language Arts based lesson plans, weekly reflections, and a few other standard requirements to show my participation in the classroom.

As the semester went on, I ended up visiting three days a week instead and stayed often after school. Tuesdays, I would join my CT in teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engining, and Mathematics) for the fifth and fourth graders, and Mondays and Wednesdays consist of general tutoring for my after school students. Soon I found myself creating more time and target specific lesson plans for my lower level students, pulling small groups of my high level students with fun yet challenging activities, and calling them my students. I learned their strengths, weaknesses, interests, hobbies and about their lives and families.

In my first internship, I presented my first lesson plan to a whole class, I wrote my first note home to parents, I sat in my first official Individual Education Plan meeting, and meet the most amazing group of students.

Yesterday, I visited my students for their 5th grade award ceremony. I watched as each one of my students were given their two awards, and some even medals for their after school programs. I told my students I was honored to have them as my first internship and wish them all the luck for middle school.

I know I'll forever remember my first students and how much they showed me that I can't wait to be a teacher.