Flow
I liked reading this word in the my final practicum evaluation report. It was a great representation of how I felt in my last practicum. I truly felt that I had established a great connection with my coaching teacher and the students. It made coming in each day so much more joyful and wholesome.
I remember when Christine, mentioned to us that there will be this shift that happens in the last few weeks of practicum where you will start to see this shift in yourself and your teaching. I definitely felt that halfway through; the routine was familiar that I didn’t have to think over certain things that before I may have been overthinking. I started to trust my inner voice more and I was able to maintain good teacher presence in my teaching.
Final observations
I started to feel so comfortable and confident as I did each of my formal lessons that towards the end, it felt so natural. I didn’t have to think too much about the little things that I normally would be planning in my previous practicums . It is interesting how much we can grow as individuals and teachers in this profession. I found the pre and post conferences very helpful as it was a chance to play out certain scenarios for the lesson. I liked talking it out and getting feedback on ways to set up certain lessons. I also liked writing my own reflection because it was a chance for me to make notes on things that worked and things that I could change for the future.
Another thing I noticed was that, no matter how much we plan, there will always be certain things that may need to be adjusted or we may need to pivot. I had to think on the spot and it allowed me to problem solve and think critically which is a skill I thought I needed more practice in initially. However, when I was reflecting after my lessons, I realized this was something I was good at naturally during my lessons.