Introduction to Student Teaching

Well, here I am two weeks into student teaching and I’m already a bundle of nerves. This stress has many sources, ranging from the mountain of coursework that I have to complete to the good old-fashioned classroom stage fright. Meanwhile, I feel like I am struggling to keep many people happy, as I try to meet different deadlines for different people and attempt to strike a delicate balance between my personal beliefs about pedagogy and adhering to the curriculum and policies of my cooperating teachers. It is all pretty overwhelming, and while I always thought that I would be comforted by the thought that this is the last phase of the teaching program, there are so many obstacles in front of me that I have not been able to even focus on how great it will feel to have this all done with. I’ve even been experiencing crises of confidence. The purpose of this blog is to allow me take some time every now and then and reflect on my experiences student teaching. Who knows, it might even help to mitigate some of the stress.