This week was a normal school visit but my SA and I decided that I continue doing lessons for the next two visits so that the students could still recognize me as a teacher. The students were going on a field trip in the afternoon so I decided to do my lesson after recess right before the field trip. The lesson was a continuum of all the other lessons that I had taught during my practicum, therefore, I wasn’t too nervous. However, it’s difficult to know what will arise and how the students will behave during that particular day, so in terms of class management, I was a little worried. I tried to go over all the possible techniques that I had learned in my head and make scenarios that could potentially be reality. Having many students with behavioral issues, it is impossible to predict what will be thrown at you during your lesson so it’s advisable to be as prepared as you can be which is what I was trying to do. My lesson went pretty well I suppose. Although the SA was behind her desk, she was occupied in her own work which really made me feel in control. I was not constantly looking at her for assurance or silently pleading for help when a student decided to act out. I knew I had to take care of everything on my own just as a teacher would. There were some bumpy moments as expected, but overall it went well and I was pleased with how much my confidence has grown. I am looking forward to teaching another lesson next week and getting as much practice as I possibly can. My love for teaching continues to grow each time I visit the students which is heartwarming feeling.

Experiencing my very first field-trip with the students was a good experience. I did not realize how difficult it is and by the end of it, both my SA and I had a throbbing headache from it. During this field-trip-which may be different for other field-trips of course-student’s energy levels increased tenfold, therefore, class management skills had to be increased by that much as well. It’s inspiring to see students excited and bursting with so much energy and motivation, but being in a building where noise level is asked to be minimized makes it difficult to suppress that energy level. We had an EA, a teacher, three parents, and myself and it was surprisingly still challenging to get the students to be quiet and respectful as the tour guide spoke. Overall, it was just another day with a primary class, and it’s amazing how much ones perspective changes when we expect certain outcomes from students. I anticipated a somewhat chaotic day, and since that’s what I received, I was not as stressed as I would have been had I not expected that. I am saddened that this week will be my last school visit before the break, but knowing that I will seem them again in the New Year makes me smile inside.

Shakiba