It turns out I was anxious for nothing. I went into the 3rd grade classroom with an open mind and the children welcomed me with smiles and fantastic participation. My first session with the kids went by in a flash! After I gave myself a warm introduction we got into the material I was to teach. As soon as I began, I realized that I would need to tailor my lesson plan to better work with the students. Everyone seemed eager to learn during my introduction, but when we started doing activities it got harder and harder for the kids to follow along. I did my best to make sure everyone was keeping up by walking around the classroom and asking several questions. I have never taught before, let alone taught people that young. It was quite a challenge to keep it entertaining yet fun for the children, but I believe I accomplished this task. After the lesson, the teacher pulled me aside and told me what a great job I did. She asked me if I was nervous, to which I replied,”Is it that obvious?” and she just smiled and said,”You handled the classroom very well. I’m impressed!” I knew after that first session that my next four would be a breeze. Or so I thought…

The second session was a little bit different than my first. Just like the first day, I arrived 15 minutes early to set up my material for the lesson, but this time there was an unexpected surprise. I walk into my classroom and find a substitute teacher! This is only a big deal because the teacher was helping me keep the kids on good behavior. Without the actual teacher I knew that the classroom would be on the verge of chaos at every moment. This of course threw me off at the beginning of the lesson. I also had to decide how I would catch up to the assigned lesson plan which we fell behind on the first day. Needless to say, I was dealing with quite a few things at once. When the kids saw me in their classroom for the second time, they were on their best behavior yet. They know that when I’m in the class they’re having fun, and that’s how I want it to be. It makes my job that much easier.
As of right now, I have 3 more sessions scheduled with my elementary school teacher. I hope that no more surprises pop up in my last classes, but that’s wishful thinking. All I can do is prepare and make sure I’m ready for anything and everything these kids throw at me. I’m looking forward to it.