I just finished up my second (and last!) semester of practicum before student teaching, this time placed in a 6th grade classroom in Alpine School district. Last semester I was placed in Kindergarten, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous to teach the highest grade in elementary school. I ended up loving it though and all of the relationships I formed with my students and the faculty. Here are some of my biggest takeaways:
There is no Such Thing as a Perfect Teacher
Every teacher that I've met throughout practicum has been different, but all of them were very effective teachers. There is not just one "right way" to teach. My mentor teachers that I had for my practicum semesters were so different, but both such amazing teachers and professionals. I learned a lot from being able to observe two very different teachers teach two very different grade levels. In your own practicum and student teaching experience, you might have mentor teachers who have a completely different teaching style than you. Decide from the beginning to immerse yourself in the experience and dedicate more time to learn from their own teaching practices. Teachers can always learn more and adjust their teaching practices, it's all about having a growth mindset.
Plan Lessons Ahead of Time
If I'm being honest, this practicum semester was difficult for me. I wasn't used to teaching content on a higher level, and didn't plan for all of the extra time I would need to spend lesson planning. However, when I took the time to really think through a lesson and be intentional about it, my lessons went a lot smoother. One of my low points was one day when my mentor teacher asked if I needed the key to teach small group math lessons. I thought I was doing great without it when I called up my last group and they informed me that I was teaching one of the problems wrong... I told my mentor teacher and she just laughed. I learned from that experience to go over the lesson ahead of time and sometimes it's ok to just laugh it off.
Give your Students 100% Every Day
Some days are harder than others to get up and teach. Your students can tell if you want to be there or not though. I found that my classroom management improved drastically when I took the time to have fun conversations with my students before beginning a lesson, asking them about their weekend, talking to them about what book they were reading, and playing volleyball with them at recess. They needed to see that I was interested in them as a person before I could reach them as a learner.
6th Graders are Kids, Too
Jumping from kindergarten to 6th grade was a huge adjustment for me. When I got my assignment, I doubted my ability to teach 6th grade because they were pre-teenagers and way too cool for me. However, as time went on I realized that they really were still just kids in bigger bodies. They loved candy, extra recess, competition, and even gave me handwritten notes when I left. I'm not so scared of upper-elementary anymore. They need a teacher who loves them just as much as the littles do. In fact, sometimes even more.
I start my student teaching in January so this is my last month as an ambassador! If you have more questions about practicum or what your program in education will look like, schedule to meet with a student ambassador here. We would love to answer your questions!