And That's a Wrap!

It is hard to believe that four months have gone by so quickly.  As I reflect on the road that I have traveled through those few short months, I begin to see how the pieces really did fit together.  I began the semester feeling overwhelmed by the amount I felt I needed to learn before I was comfortable to walk in front of students.  Now, I feel comfortable knowing that in only a months time I will be able to take responsibility of my students educational experience.  I truly believe that I would not feel prepared without my lab experience.
We have learned to live by John Dewey's Learning by Doing concept.  Throughout the course of the semester, we were allowed to learn what did and did not work for us by actually getting up and teaching.  We were able to take what we had spent class time learning about and apply it.  Personally, I found it completely beneficial to receive both peer feedback as well as instructor feedback.  I was able to take both and then effectively reflecting on my performance. However, I feel that the most beneficial part of lab for me personally was the video recordings of our lessons.  I learned so much more by taking the time to go and watch my video after the fact.  I picked up on the things that I did that may have been a little off, and was able to set standards for myself to improve in those areas, and reevaluate myself upon watching the next weeks video.

Through the experience I have had this semester, I feel that I was given the opportunity and encouragement to grow as an educator.  We started small and built up to working in a classroom with actual students.  I now have confidence that I have developed skills that are needed to take on the responsibility of my future students.  I can say this confidently because I have not merely learned about the techniques, I have had the chance to apply them.  I look forward to taking these experiences with me as I take my next step into the classroom.