Student Practice Reflection - Self-Evaluation #3

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3A) MY CHALLENGES/ AIMS FOR THE FUTURE 

What are the areas I still have to work on? What is my action plan? What/who will help me to achieve my goals?

The number one goal I want to work towards is having a stronger presence in the classroom. As I mentioned in my previous reflections, both my mentor and I agreed that I am quite soft-spoken and sometimes lose control over the students because of it. My priority is creating a positive and comfortable atmosphere and because I do not want to jeopardize that in any way, I sometimes lose some of the authority. I get scared of being critical or harsh, because that positive environment is so important to me. However, I do think I need to learn to put my foot down and be a bit more serious, when things get out of hand. I need to find that perfect balance between the two worlds. My plan is to try to take small steps into the direction of having a stronger voice and more control to feel out how far I want to go. I'm sure there will be uncomfortable moments along the way, especially since this is me going out of my comfort zone, and I might go too far at some points, but without trying I will never gain that stronger presence. I think observing other teachers and my fellow colleagues will help me see how they control the classroom, what works and what doesn't, and where the line lies. I'm sure this process will take a while for me, but I am excited to have a goal I am working towards. 

3B) FINAL CONCLUSIONS 

What went well? What am I particularly proud of? Would I do something differently?

I think I am most proud of my overall growth. This was my first teaching student practice and I was very nervous. A lot of my classmates have been teaching for years and GPTE is my first program about education, so I felt a lot of pressure to rise to the standard. In the beginning I was quite timid, because there was a lot of new information and experiences to absorb from the environment. I was able to come out of my shell midway through the practice, but those observations, microteaching, and later conducting my own lessons, have allowed me to gain a lot of confidence in myself as a teacher. Seeing students enjoy my classes, being creative, and engaged, showed me that I am a skilled educator and this is the right profession for me. I am particularly proud of the 2nd and 3rd lessons I conducted. I had to prepare two different classes for one day and both of the topics were quite new for me. I was panicking the day before and thought I wouldn't be able to do it. However, when I got to the school and actually conducted the lessons, they turned out to be successful. I actually think those two classes were the best lessons I've conducted in the entire practice. The students were very engaged by the projects and presentations I prepared for them. I felt very relieved and proud after that day. Is there anything I would do differently? I am the type of person, who believes everything happens for a reason, so even though not everything went perfect, I wouldn't change my experience. I had some embarrassing moments, like the lesson Ms. Marchlik observed not working out, but those were the moments that I got to take away most from. I was able to reflect on my mistakes and become better for next time. That's why I am proud of everything I did - all the ups and downs were essential to my growth and are the reason why I am walking away from the experience feeling happy, content, and transformed. I am excited to see how future practice possibilities will help me grow even more. I still have a long way to go, but I have a clear vision of where I need to go and I'm ready to proceed on this journey of growth. 





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