SamanthaSherlin

Student teaching was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about the teaching profession and myself. Teaching takes preparation, dedication, and an open, willing mind. Though I knew these things going into the semester, there is no better teacher than experience. Every day brought new challenges, new triumphs, and new appreciation for the work teachers put forth every single day. These experiences have created a foundation of strength that I plan on using in my next classroom. Even the not so great days provided learning opportunities that I appreciated. 

Student teaching taught me more about myself than I ever thought to know. I now understand what bothers me in a classroom, what doesn't bother me, and I am on my way to figuring out my own "style" of teaching. I built on my strengths of content knowledge, professionalism, and my focus on literacy. I want to continue to capitalize on these strengths to help support me in my efforts to also build up my weaknesses. I have very specific goals that I want to accomplish as I begin teaching, and overcoming some of those weaknesses is pivotal to being successful. However, now that I am aware of those weaknesses, I will be making every effort possible to overcome them. 

Below is a professional development plan that I want to focus on in my first year of teaching.