Student Teaching the second time around...

This past month I've been student teaching for the second time. I've experienced a roller coaster ride of emotions concerning this. For those of you who don't know, I student taught as part of my degree from Bethany Bible College, and then I taught at Greater Houlton Christian Academy for a year while my then husband-to-be finished school. I was offered a position to stay on at the school, but I wanted to settle into married life. After getting married in June of 2003, I substitute taught and volunteered at the local elementary school here in Perth-Andover. Being in the classroom gave me a hunger to further my education so that I could have the option of teaching full time in the public school, so last year I went to the University of Maine in Presque Isle to take the extra courses I needed, and now here I am, student teaching for the second time.

There is a part of me that has battled with why I have to student teach again. Apart from the fact that people want my money, to me there seems to be no logical reason as to why I should have to go through this process after having done it before and after having had my own class. If someone would have observed me in the classroom and talked with my former boss, they would have soon discovered that I can handle a class of students on my own. This was confirmed to me this past week when my supervisor came to observe me teach for the first time. "Had I observed you before observing some of the other student teachers I'm currently observing, I would have expected more from them. You've set the bar high. You're on your way to becoming an awesome teacher." My cooperating teacher has also confirmed this to me. "You have excellent classroom management skills. That only comes with experience, and you've had that."

I am so thankful that my experience is evident, and I am grateful that the Lord has enabled me to see that I do have a gift for teaching.

I say these things not to say that I know all there is about teaching. To be truthful, I have learned even more the second time around, and I am working with an incredible teacher whom I have much respect for. I also have a love for the students in my current classroom, and I will have a hard time making a transition in another month to another grade. I know that I've been placed in this school, for this time, in this classroom, for a reason. I refuse to let the enemy affect my attitude about having to do this again. My co-workers and my students deserve the best of me and the best that I have to give.

God sees the bigger picture. I just have to take things one snap-shot at a time.