Learning Letter

Taking this course Teaching Literature to Adolescents has taught me so much about myself as a teacher. This course really opened up my eyes to so many aspect of teaching that I never even considered before. For starters, I completed my first team-teaching mini-lesson on a young adult text. This was a new experience for me because until then I had never co-taught before, and I got to experience the dynamic of working with a fellow (teacher). It showed me a side of teaching that incorporated team work and compromise, and I know somewhere down the line I will need that experience.

Then was the 3-week unit plan: this was the most time-intensive project I have ever completed, but I am so glad I did it. Not only am I more than comfortable now with TPA’s, but I also know the time, organization, and planning it takes to construct a whole unit. I am glad I completed it on a novel I know I will have to use in the future, so I know my time was spent wisely. I am so excited to teach it for real one day.

All the readings and discussions we’ve had in the course have also been significantly helpful and eye opening to me. It has helped so much for me to hear other students’ experiences with their past teachers, experiences they’ve had in their student teaching classrooms, and theories and techniques they believe work in the classroom and things they don’t. I agree that reflecting not only on our own experience and learning this quarter but reflecting on things we’ve heard and learned from other students (future teachers) has been more helpful than I ever thought. A

One very important thing I also learned this quarter was all the good insight I gained on the not-so-fun or easy realities that also comes with being a teacher. We learned about how to handle or prepare for some pretty tough topics that we will most likely experience at some point once we are teachers. These are the things I will most remember when I have my own classroom one day. I am so glad I took this course and I cannot wait to be a teacher!