I'm three weeks into my second placement for Student Teaching and I LOVE IT!!! My first placement was at the middle school and I'm now at the elementary school. I have never been in an elementary setting as a teacher, so I had no idea what to expect. Would it be crazy, non-stop, tiring, exciting, entertaining, fall-and-get-back-up-learning-experiences, or something else entirely? To sum it all up I would say it has been all of those so far.
Within the first week there I was able to co-teach a little bit alongside my cooperating teacher. Thus far I have been able to teach kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade, with plans to teach second and third grade in the future. For the most part the students are very well behaved and seem eager to learn each day they come to class. I haven't really been upset or frustrated with any of these experiences, which is good!
The cooperating teacher I am with is amazing as well! She has been teaching music at this specific school since it opened back in 1994, so she has plenty of experience. She has been nothing but kind and helpful everyday I'm with her. Most of all I have been learning quite a lot about elementary music, how to teach it, and how to make the classroom a fun and encouraging learning environment for all.
Even better news:
The teacher fair was this past Friday on campus at Murray State University, and most of the local and surrounding school districts were there and represented. The first booth I went to was the district I live in and there was great news to be announced; there will be two elementary music positions opening up/created in the fall of 2015! It makes me ecstatic to think about possibly working in the same district I reside in, teaching alongside great educators, and being a part of the community the students are a part of as well.
