Yesterday was my last day with my 3rd graders and oh how I will miss them! We have Fall Break today and tomorrow, so we parted yesterday. One of my students said, "Can we just come to school on Thursday and Friday then so we can see you?" They are adorable. This student teaching experience was exactly what I needed. During my cohort experiences, I had definite highs and lows, but I found that, overall, it was rather draining and left me questioning whether or not I could really do this. Over the last 6 weeks, I have found the energizing, rejuvenating aspects of teaching that both inspire and delight me. It is still tiring and time-consuming at times, but I have finally found myself as a teacher. I found the confidence that I need to finally enter my own classroom and LOVE teaching. I think, more than anything, I have really grown in my testimony. I truly have a testimony of education and its necessity for progression. Indeed, education and the gospel are the two things that would most benefit our world. I felt the Spirit in my teaching, in the ideas that would come to me late at night that would help me reach certain students or make a difficult concept more clear, in the added patience I found on a particularly trying day, and in the way I viewed my students. The Lord loves these children so very dearly, and I felt privileged to glimpse that, work with them and to develop my own love for them. Many times the words came to my mind, "how dear to God are little children."There were, of course, many hilarious things that happened in the classroom. Here are few of my favorites:
1. (during a health unit, a lesson on calcium) "Mrs. Goold, is milk still healthy for you if you only eat it with a cookie?"
2. (showing them a picture of the 13 colonies) "Well, Adam and Eve were the first people on the earth and they lived in Kansas, and that isn't on the map." --wow. I did not even know what to say to that one!
3. (when I had a cold) "Mrs. Goold, you sound weird today!"
4. One student bringing me in these crazy costume jewelry rings and wanting me to wear a different one every day.
5. And so many more! Racing them around the track, eating lunch together, doing muscle poses to remind us of what protein does for our bodies, hearing their "I love you's", and of course, trying to keep teaching when all the kids are laughing because one kid (ahem) passes gas while sitting on the rug. Nice. In Jeff's words, "I don't care who you are, that's funny!"
My mentor teacher ordered in a yummy goodbye cake, had compiled letters from them to me in the cute book pictured above, and after a flurry of pictures and hugs, they were out the door. And I am forever changed.
One word in summary? Blessed.
15 comments:
Awww! Fun! This makes me want to teach again. :)
You are so cute! You are seriously going to be the best teacher ever because kids love you and want to be near you (for example: Matthew)! Kids are going to be lucky to have you as their teacher. I am so grateful for loving teacher's after hearing about the bad experiences Ashlee's having this year. Ella's teacher is so loving to her that it makes it easier for her to be gone all day at school. We went and picked up Ella's work that she's missed and there was a note from her teacher saying sorry Ella was sick and to get better soon! How thoughtful and it made Ella's day. I was hoping you were going to my Mom's today but she said you're not. Hopefully we'll see you soon.
Oh Whitney. That sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I loved reading it. I am so glad you've found something you love. Good for you! I am sure you are an ADORABLE teacher and that you have a real love for the kids.
Isn't teaching just great! I can't believe you are already done with your first block! Hey, I tagged you in a Man tag, so enjoy.
I know exactly how you feel. Teaching is so hecka hard, and sometimes I wondered if this was really what I wanted to do (funny how when something is hard we question it), but you just feel the love the Lord has for each one of them and you keep going. My favorite is the look on their faces when something finally clicks, it feels so good to see that!
That is so cute that they did that for you. Next time we get together you should bring it, I would love to see the notes they wrote to you. You will be such a good teacher.
I am glad you are finding the joys of teaching. After I graduated and didn't think I was going to teach, as more time pasted I got more and more of the itch to do it. It is hard to stay away. I LOVE my first year of teaching. Yes its a lot of work, but it so fun to have a class ALL to yourself! teaching kids really is a blessing!
To answer your question... yes those are my students name on the labels. Sometimes they get to pick what work they want on the wall and other times I reward them by choosing the highest quality work.
So I hope you are planning on teaching 2nd grade next year in California. That way you can be Eliza's teacher! Really, good teachers make the world a better place. We are so lucky that Eliza has the best teacher this year. I'm so glad this semester is going so well for you!
p.s. That last post was so sweet. I'm so happy little Jeff is a good husband. Why do I still call him little when I can't remember the last time I was taller than him?
p.p.s. It is still weird for me to see "Mrs. Goold."
What an amazing experience. How neat that it was a spiritual experience for you ... It is interesting that your feelings are familar to me - it sounds a lot like what my LDSFS internship was like - I had the blessing of seeing my clients through Heavenly Father's eyes and that was the sweetest part of the whole experience. It is wonderful that you feel that teaching is such a blessing. I want you to be our kid's teacher ... how about it?!
That made me cry, Whitney! I love that you love it so much. I love how they change you just as much as you change them. It makes me so excited to teach, too!
Mrs. Goold, how splendid!
But what's next?
The kids loved you because you loved them!
Loved this post. Loved your testimony.
Teaching seems like the perfect thing for you. You seem like such a natural. Oh and yes I did go crazy on bedrest...laying around all day every day for 4 weeks is enough to make anyone go crazy, but it was definitely for a good cause. We will be in Poway for Christmas and I'm so excited to see you!!!
Yay for being done with your first block! I am so glad that things went well and that you love it so much. I say amen to everything that you wrote. It is so true. I can't wait to hear about your next experience!
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