Hayley Frerichs & Erin Ludy reflect on some things they’ve learned after ten weeks of teaching.
Defn. Pre-service Teachers (noun): People who balance being full time teachers and full time college students.
What our friends think we do: Talk about students all the time.
What our moms think we do: Shape young minds.
What society thinks we do: Take the entire summer off.
What our students think we do: Go to frat parties in our spare time.
What we think we do: Shape young minds.
What we actually do: Stay up late grading, creating lesson plans, calling our moms, thinking about if our students are actually doing their homework, and all the while smiling from ear to ear.
Hayley: In all honesty, the first couple months of teaching have been both eye opening and motivating. I had serious doubts about going into the education field, but all those doubts were squashed under a massive boulder as soon as I met my students. During inservice days administrators remind teachers to keep the students first, but how can you not when they make it all worth it? It’s funny how easy it was to create the meme above because it all rings true (ringing the cliche bell over here). And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Erin: With the end of the first marking period upon us, I am astonished at how quickly it has passed. These first ten weeks have been challenging, but also incredibly fun. I have enjoyed getting to know my students and see their personalities emerge in the classroom. I have built a strong relationship with my mentor teacher and enjoy collaborating with her on lessons, while also just talking to her about life. The other interns in the program have become my friends, and it has been so wonderful having them as a support system as we all face this first year of teaching together. What do I do as a teacher? Create lasting relationships with my colleagues, and hopefully with my students.
Ms. Frerichs is a student teacher at State College Area High School, teaching Advanced English 9, Intro to Theater, and English 10. She’ll be graduating Penn State in the Spring with degrees in Secondary Education and English. Her favorite author is Virginia Woolf and some of her passions include writing, traveling, swimming, hiking, sewing, and–of course–reading.
Miss Ludy is a year-long student teaching intern at State College Area High school
teaching Advanced English 10 and English 10. She will graduate from Penn State in the spring with a degree in Secondary English Education, an ESL Teaching Certificate, and a minor in English. She enjoys reading classic British literature, young adult literature, the Harry Potter series (many times), and is currently obsessed with reading Carrie Fisher’s novels and autobiographies. She also enjoys traveling, writing, singing, and spending time with friends and family.