A Reflection in the Student Teaching Experience
The pre-service training is the most anticipated part of being a prospective teacher. Every education major’s endeavors and hardships lead to this one thing that will provoke a taste of what’s ahead in real life. That is, one is provided the guided experience before jump starting a whole new life as a professional. Being a teacher is definitely not an easy undertaking despite all undermined perspectives, since the great chunk of the development of the future generation lies among their hands. Thus, the nation’s entire future is technically among teachers’ hands and excellence.
Even before the pre-service training, I always believe in the big role that teachers play in nation building. The impact that teachers inflict among students in their partaking role in the society has always been my drive to be great at teaching. As I have mentioned at the start of the pre-service training, I have always believed that the classroom is my place on earth where I can maximize my potentials, and have something unique to offer my country. Every single lesson I implemented was rooted and will be rooted in the drive that the students that I handle will carry the loads of the society when the right time comes along.
Now that the student teaching program is about to end, I only feel excitement to venture out into the real world. This anticipated exhilaration is being brightened with the idea that I can now give substantial contribution with the profession I love and chose as an instrument. My greatest wish is to become one with the frontrunners in the education sector one day and finally being a teacher brings me closer to that long term aspiration. Ideal as one might become, I really desire to be up there and revolutionize Philippine educational system. Besides, this is one of those things that must be left of an “Iskolar ng Bayan”, that love for change and progress even in the slightest method possible. I was exposed to the societal host concerns and I was only made adamant in the goal to go out there and contribute something. I believe one door to do such is being a teacher for the nation.
But as much that I am being thrilled with the anticipation, I also feel disheartened I have left only a few days with my beloved students, co-teachers, mentors and the school community itself. Fourth quarter was the best time of my life so far. I have been true to my promise of being a good teacher, so I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed it a lot that I found myself exerted so much love with designing my instructions and creating materials, not to mention the rich yet controlled communication with my students. As I write this reflection paper, I have just planned the last segment of our last lesson on living in space. I sighed but not more of relief. I sighed with a bitter taste in my mouth as I think that I have only limited time together with the elements of this student teaching program. As I type my way to developing this paper, I press hard on my keys as my feelings get heavy as well. How can I ever depart ways to the people and things that I learned to love over the past 5 months? Has it been already 5 months? Isn’t the time run too fast? Too fast that I did not anticipate a major farewell.
Nevertheless, looking back at those five months, I know I am a different person now. Having the personality they say suited for a teacher, I have lost confidence in the middle of all the struggles. At the very beginning, I was brought down on my knees by all the constraints and problems that tend to distract me. These things do not favor the kind of attitude that I must have as a teacher at first which eventually caused some minor problems. There were moments when I doubted myself by standing at where I am at the instance. Fortunately, the five months of grueling teaching experience taught me a lot of things. As much that I learned so much theoretical background, this experience told me of the things that are lacking in me. Learning in the hard it is for me. Luckily, I am the kind of person who easily pins down errors, act on them and remember what to do henceforth. But unfortunately, the process imposes damages.
The greatest doubt came from my major field of specialization. Having a subject simultaneous with the student teaching program has proven to be a worse case that one may have. There were those moments that I was pressed too hard that I just bowed my head. Truly, a student teacher has all advantage when focused only with the teacher tasks. I tried to balance them out but that is almost impossible. With both courses heavily demanding, I chose the student teaching program and do mediocrely in applied physics? Do I regret taking physics as major field? No, definitely not, but I honestly lament the corresponding hardship that it contributed. But as the cliché goes, all hardships when overcame are part of one’s life achievement. Looking back at those painful months, I am close to tears at this moment not because of all agonies and discomforts, but of the fact that I am still here. There are more tasks to fulfill at the moment yet I must stand still. Besides I became a better version of me.
In this rich experience, there are two things that are most rewarding to me. First, I garnered a basket full of theoretical knowledge and practical skills from the entire experience and my mentors. Second, I knew and improved myself more, on top of getting firm on my goals as a teacher. This second rewarding experience was also the most surprising, because all along I knew I was always capable of teaching yet I experienced falling short at some aspect. I however do not forget all the micro-learning I had so far. In relation to that, I hope my firmness on imposing excellence on my students will be left among them as they go higher in their lives. I just know I changed some of them to go even higher. As a novice teacher, I always smile when I think of how they leaped on the concepts that I taught them. I always tell them that one must know a lot of things, yet very good at one thing. Of all outputs I made them do, I always remind them that when one does something, he must do it at his best or none at all.
As I expect to leave this fruitful experience and embrace the real one, I was even adamant that I am a teacher for a purpose. I am a teacher of the nation, and for the nation! This one says a lot, way from being a great teacher up to upholding the true essence of the profession as regards uniting the nation as one troop of excellent constituents. I will always carry the variety of instructional designs and implement goodness, and will never get tired of them, as I went my way up the public school system of my beloved country.
Even before the pre-service training, I always believe in the big role that teachers play in nation building. The impact that teachers inflict among students in their partaking role in the society has always been my drive to be great at teaching. As I have mentioned at the start of the pre-service training, I have always believed that the classroom is my place on earth where I can maximize my potentials, and have something unique to offer my country. Every single lesson I implemented was rooted and will be rooted in the drive that the students that I handle will carry the loads of the society when the right time comes along.
Now that the student teaching program is about to end, I only feel excitement to venture out into the real world. This anticipated exhilaration is being brightened with the idea that I can now give substantial contribution with the profession I love and chose as an instrument. My greatest wish is to become one with the frontrunners in the education sector one day and finally being a teacher brings me closer to that long term aspiration. Ideal as one might become, I really desire to be up there and revolutionize Philippine educational system. Besides, this is one of those things that must be left of an “Iskolar ng Bayan”, that love for change and progress even in the slightest method possible. I was exposed to the societal host concerns and I was only made adamant in the goal to go out there and contribute something. I believe one door to do such is being a teacher for the nation.
But as much that I am being thrilled with the anticipation, I also feel disheartened I have left only a few days with my beloved students, co-teachers, mentors and the school community itself. Fourth quarter was the best time of my life so far. I have been true to my promise of being a good teacher, so I enjoyed every moment of it. I enjoyed it a lot that I found myself exerted so much love with designing my instructions and creating materials, not to mention the rich yet controlled communication with my students. As I write this reflection paper, I have just planned the last segment of our last lesson on living in space. I sighed but not more of relief. I sighed with a bitter taste in my mouth as I think that I have only limited time together with the elements of this student teaching program. As I type my way to developing this paper, I press hard on my keys as my feelings get heavy as well. How can I ever depart ways to the people and things that I learned to love over the past 5 months? Has it been already 5 months? Isn’t the time run too fast? Too fast that I did not anticipate a major farewell.
Nevertheless, looking back at those five months, I know I am a different person now. Having the personality they say suited for a teacher, I have lost confidence in the middle of all the struggles. At the very beginning, I was brought down on my knees by all the constraints and problems that tend to distract me. These things do not favor the kind of attitude that I must have as a teacher at first which eventually caused some minor problems. There were moments when I doubted myself by standing at where I am at the instance. Fortunately, the five months of grueling teaching experience taught me a lot of things. As much that I learned so much theoretical background, this experience told me of the things that are lacking in me. Learning in the hard it is for me. Luckily, I am the kind of person who easily pins down errors, act on them and remember what to do henceforth. But unfortunately, the process imposes damages.
The greatest doubt came from my major field of specialization. Having a subject simultaneous with the student teaching program has proven to be a worse case that one may have. There were those moments that I was pressed too hard that I just bowed my head. Truly, a student teacher has all advantage when focused only with the teacher tasks. I tried to balance them out but that is almost impossible. With both courses heavily demanding, I chose the student teaching program and do mediocrely in applied physics? Do I regret taking physics as major field? No, definitely not, but I honestly lament the corresponding hardship that it contributed. But as the cliché goes, all hardships when overcame are part of one’s life achievement. Looking back at those painful months, I am close to tears at this moment not because of all agonies and discomforts, but of the fact that I am still here. There are more tasks to fulfill at the moment yet I must stand still. Besides I became a better version of me.
In this rich experience, there are two things that are most rewarding to me. First, I garnered a basket full of theoretical knowledge and practical skills from the entire experience and my mentors. Second, I knew and improved myself more, on top of getting firm on my goals as a teacher. This second rewarding experience was also the most surprising, because all along I knew I was always capable of teaching yet I experienced falling short at some aspect. I however do not forget all the micro-learning I had so far. In relation to that, I hope my firmness on imposing excellence on my students will be left among them as they go higher in their lives. I just know I changed some of them to go even higher. As a novice teacher, I always smile when I think of how they leaped on the concepts that I taught them. I always tell them that one must know a lot of things, yet very good at one thing. Of all outputs I made them do, I always remind them that when one does something, he must do it at his best or none at all.
As I expect to leave this fruitful experience and embrace the real one, I was even adamant that I am a teacher for a purpose. I am a teacher of the nation, and for the nation! This one says a lot, way from being a great teacher up to upholding the true essence of the profession as regards uniting the nation as one troop of excellent constituents. I will always carry the variety of instructional designs and implement goodness, and will never get tired of them, as I went my way up the public school system of my beloved country.
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