what a first week.

I just finished my opening school experience yesterday and my head is swimming. My students are sweet and challenging and I'm completely loving each of them in their own way. I'm finding that planning and implementing 5 days of instruction in a row is a challenge when you have such diverse learning needs to meet. Not that I thought this would be a cake walk , but there are about a million factors I never thought of when thinking about what student teaching would be like.

I also didn't realize the impact student teaching would have on my poor feet! My body is pretty much pissed at me right now. Although I did buy new shoes that look like they belong to an old lady just for the cushioning and support they offer. 

I'm learning so much already about how to be a great teacher. I've gotten some materials together that will help me in my own classroom one day and lots of helpful advice from the other teachers on my grade level. 

One thing that is not a surprise is the joy I find in facilitating literacy. My classes on emerging literacy and language development fascinated me, but watching it occur with actual students within a classroom is amazing. I was never really interested in getting an advanced degree before, but now I am almost positive I will be pursuing a masters degree in a few years once I have been a classroom teacher for a bit. I researched some programs yesterday and I am really excited about the quality of degree programs near me. One that has particularly caught my eye is the Masters of Education in Reading with an emphasis on emergent literacy.

I know what I'll be saving my pennies for!