Reflection of Student Teaching

My student teaching experience took place in a first grade classroom in the Brookings

school district. During this sixteen week experience, I was able to observe my cooperating

teacher, work in a co-teacher model, and have sole responsibility of planning and instruction. I

learned a lot of important teaching practices during my experience. I learned how to plan

lessons that aligned with state and grade level standards and I was able to teach these lessons

and reflect on how students learned. I practiced different classroom management techniques

and used the ones that worked best for the class. I also learned how to plan and implement

different assessments that were developmentally appropriate for the students.

I believe I improved my teaching practices throughout my experience. I learned how to

use my assessment data to guide my instruction and differentiate instruction for students when

necessary. I also learned about many different digital tools and resources that helped me better

plan and teach my students. Another important skill I improved was giving feedback. I learned

how to help students recognize their strengths and build off of those strengths. I also learned

how to help students recognize what goals they should focus on and we built goals together.

Most importantly, I learned about the importance of providing a safe and respectful classroom

environment. I built a relationship with every student and I believe this helped build a

foundation of trust and respect in the classroom.

I learned a lot of teaching methods and gained important experience that I will take with

me into my teaching career. After this experience, I feel better prepared to build a classroom

environment where students feel respected and safe and where learning is valued by everyone.

Overall, I am thankful for this learning experience and the important lessons I have learned.