It felt surreal to walk into my placement school for my first day of student teaching. Although I had visited countless times in the past for my many hours of field work and observations, this time felt different. This time felt real. And I had to choke back tears as I finally embarked on the first day of living my life-long dream.
Immediately, my cooperating teacher helped me to feel at home; she cleared a space for me at the teacher's desk, introduced me to others with pride, and offered all of the advice and encouragement that I could need. So while the abrupt transition from student to teacher can often feel anxious and intimidating, my first day was not. I was able to face the change with a prepared and confident smile.
From there, the school day was a whirl-wind of good experiences, from the students excitedly repeating my name, to lunch spent with adults in the teacher's lounge. Granted, the full day was incredibly exhausting; readjusting to an early morning was not and never will be easy. All the same, it's only a small price to pay for the chance to change children's lives forever.
That being said, student teaching is by no means a walk in the park. Although many people believe that education is easy - that all you have to do is take attendance, lecture kids, and give tests - that is completely not the case. Teachers have the responsibility to engage students in meaningful ways, to connect with their day-to-day lives, and to prepare each kid for life beyond school. So while a lot of the job is basic instruction, modern teachers redefine that experience.
At the end of the day, I cherish this opportunity to educate our country's youth; it's a fun, rewarding, and creative outlet that often goes under appreciated. But if you're somebody who's considering the certification track with the idea that teaching is easy, I encourage you to reconsider.
Even before I began my hours, I had to invest weeks of hard work and endless preparation into lesson planning. Then of course, came the grading, accommodations, and training sessions; you get plenty of homework, even as the teacher! But for someone like me - the undergrad who wants to work with children, soak up my favorite content, and change the world - it's worth it. And the world will always need innovative and passionate educators.
