End Reflection

As I sit here thinking about all that has gone on this semester, I truly cannot believe it is already the end of QUEST 2. I feel like I just received my confirmation e-mail stating I was accepted into QUEST 2. It is so surreal and I wish I had a video camera following me everywhere I went this semester so I would not forget a thing!

This semester has offered me so many different things that I can take in my journey in becoming an effective teacher. I started this semester not 100% sure of what to expect. But this semester was unlike any other. There were many struggles, but also so many victories. I have gained a stronger sense of who I am and who I want to become as an educator. I realized that who I am as a person will be emanated in my teaching, thus to my students. I realized how much I love working and simply being with students. In my first rotation I was placed with the most wonderful first graders. I was first intimidated by the difficulty since the students were so young and always in need- but I grew to really love each student. I loved working one on one with the students. I also loved simply getting to know them! They are absolutely such wonderful young minds that soak in so much. I really enjoyed just getting to know the first graders by talking to them and sharing with them and even having lunch with them. Getting to know them on a more personal basis has been so rewarding. I miss how they would run up to me and talk a mile a minute just about anything in their lives! In my second rotation, I was with wonderful fifth graders. The way they were so focused and determined to do well in everything they did. Being with them was so different than being with the first graders, but also a great experience. I overcame my fear of being with and teaching an older group of kids. I am more open to teaching an older age group. The students are independent and so eager to learn more. I absolutely loved both of my rotation teachers. One teacher has years of experience to offer. She was so sweet and we connected so well. She also was a huge help! She was very positive and helped me become more confident in my teaching. My other teacher offered such great ideas and organization! She did many various topics and ideas that were so fun. She was also so positive and was always so grateful for any help I offered- both of them were so wonderful! From them, I learned many great ideas that I can incorporate in my future classroom. From transitions to lesson plans- they are such great teachers. They reassured me that as a teacher, the learning continues.

The people that were in my cluster were absolutely awesome! I can say that my PLC and other people from the cluster really bonded through the journey of QUEST 2. Without their advice, encouragement, presence, support, collaboration, and kindness I would not have been able to go through this semester. They were all a great help! And so fun!

My methods classes helped ease and guide me through this semester. They were not what I was expecting to be, and in a good way. The classes and professors especially reassured me in my goal of wanting to be a teacher. All of them were so helpful and offered so many ideas. They really opened my mind and reminded me that I don't need to know everything in order to be a teacher. I especially loved my social education class. Debby and the class itself taught me to be more open and think outside of the box as a person and a teacher. She also challenged me to reflect more about who I am as a person. All of my professors encouraged me in this journey.

This journey continues on. I realized that in order to accomplish my goal of being an effective teacher, I had to sacrifice other aspects of my life to help me stay focused. I realized that the stress in my life affected my performance in my school life. I was not able to be an active officer in my church group as I usually am. I also had to pick studying over time with friends. This all seems like little lessons, but they all come together to helping me become a more effective teacher. And this semester, I really learned how I want to become an even more all around and knowledgeable teacher. I want to participate in other activities, read more books, and talk to more people to better myself as a teacher. I know there are many things I still need to improve on. My organization skills and punctuality have improved, but I know I can do even better. I also know I need to find my own way of keeping students more engaged and focused. I want to research more ways of keeping the classroom more manageable and efficient. I want to grow in an even more professional way as an educator. I also hope to get to know myself even more as a person in order to create more meaningful teaching for my future students. I hope through that, I will gain the greater confidence I need to grow in finding my style of teaching.

It has been an exciting semester! I look forward to what the next semester has to offer!