At the beginning of my practicum, I felt nervous to meet my class and start teaching. My Coaching Teacher (CT) played a huge role in making me feel like I was part of the class, even at the very beginning, when I was just observing. She always
referred to the class as our class and made sure that the students knew I was just
another teacher in the room. She encouraged me to arrive in the classroom early every morning, even when I didn’t have much to prepare, to get my mind in the right headspace before I started the day. I developed a great relationship with my CT and I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to learn from such an amazing person as her. I felt her support every single day through her actions and words she would say to me.
It seemed that both the students and I were comfortable together from the start. I made sure to develop a relationship with each and every one of them before I started to teach them. However, I knew I had to develop the awareness of what is going on in the classroom that a teacher needs to have. From the start, I made sure to establish my presence in the classroom and to make students be aware of me as a teacher in the class. I used technique after technique with different students until we finally found our rhythm and the students respected and trusted me as much as I respected them. When I started teaching, I felt at home within the classroom, and classroom management became natural to me. In addition, I began to open up to the students and shared more of myself and my story. I found it very important to do that to develop a better relationship with students and let them see I am just a human as they are.
The best part of my practicum is the moments when I knew that I reached a student. Nothing beats the feeling, though, when you know that you’ve reached the most challenging students in your class. The best feeling was when after weeks of positive reinforcement and managing student behaviours; finally, I had those students come up to me and give me a hug. Sometimes a hug speaks more than any words, and it warmed my heart. The students needed and need to know that they are safe and respected and that they need to respect the teacher. I want to emphasize the importance of connecting with every student, especially those who are less likely to engage or follow behaviour expectations. I have found that most of the time they simply need someone to listen to and understand them.
I absolutely loved my final practicum and I wish I had more time to enjoy it. However, it is time for me to practice teaching as a TTOC and grow more as a teacher.
