Field Placement Wrap-Up

I was lucky enough to teach several times during my time at Lancaster Catholic. Though I liked high school in general more than I suspected I would, I definitely preferred teaching the freshmen. I liked their energy and their general weirdness---there was something kind of fresh and exciting about their rowdiness and eagerness to participate. They still hadn't quite learned to "do school" yet and were quick to answer questions.

I also learned about myself that I'm at my best when I'm being myself. Though I'm certainly no expert teacher now, I know that I connect the best to my students when I'm just Maggie up in front of the classroom: talking with my hands, moving around the room as I speak, using modern-day references. I tried to teach with the more stern style of my co-op, but it wasn't for me.

Though my teacher definitely had a more traditional teaching style than I did, I also learned a lot from her in terms of classroom management. She was so learning focused, it was amazing. She didn't waste a minute of class time! She gave me great tips on how to get a classroom quiet and how to always keep your class moving.

Like many of the other posters, I'm sad I'm not still at my field placement. I had a great time and I can't wait to start teaching on a more regular basis!