My last week of student teaching was tougher than I expected. Of course, there were the administrative responsibilities that kept me busy—grading papers, taking attendance, updating the class schedule, and planning my final lessons for the term. There was one last PLC meeting to attend, one final observation to complete, and my midterm conference with my clinical supervisor and mentor teacher. The week felt like a complete blur.
Although saying goodbye to the classroom—and to the many opportunities I’ve had to practice and grow in my craft—was difficult, the hardest part was saying goodbye to the students I’ve worked with over the past several weeks. The students who worked tirelessly to learn and grow, the ones who wanted to analyze why F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing didn’t resonate with them, my steady strugglers who fought for every point, my talkers, and all the others who made each class period meaningful and memorable.
As I looked back on that final week, it dawned on me—this must be what it’s like to reach the end of a school year: happy that students get to move on and progress, yet sad that the students you’ve watched learn and grow are leaving your class. There’s also a sense of trepidation—hoping they had enough “a-ha” moments to sustain them through the summer and support them as they encounter new subjects and try new things.
Leaving this classroom has made me realize that teaching is about far more than delivering content. It’s about building positive relationships with students. It’s about making connections.
As I was writing this reflection, I spoke with a football coach at the school where I was subbing. He told me that one caring teacher can make all the difference. He shared a story about a high school teacher who took the time to connect with him by asking one simple question: “Are you okay today?” He said no one had ever really asked him that—not his friends, teammates, or coaches.
He went on to explain that he was the second oldest of ten children and was responsible for driving his siblings and helping care for them, as both of his parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. In many ways, he had taken on the role of a parent to his eight younger siblings.
As educators, we never truly know the impact we may have on a student. All we can do is show them that we care. I hope to be that teacher—the one who makes a difference in a student’s life.
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