This past semester I did my practicum at Irvine Elementary in the Bethel School District. My cooperating teacher’s name was Mary Loftin and she was extremely amazing to work with. As I started the semester, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew is that I wanted to do something in the Education Department. When I went into Mary’s classroom she knew right away that I was unsure and she did her best the entire semester to help me figure out exactly what I wanted to do. She let me teach everything under the sun and she also helped me get in contact with the counseling department, music department, and teach physical education classes. She made sure I was well rounded and really pushed me to my limits to discover what I wanted to do. As I was teaching in her classroom I had a grand epiphany. I decided that I wanted to be a life skills teacher for middle school or high school. Through her help with getting involved in many different things throughout the school I decided I wanted to make a large impact on student’s lives and I felt this would be the best way to do so.
Although I do not want to be a first grade teacher, I loved my first graders. If I could stay with the same class until they graduate high school I would because they just grew on me. I enjoyed their energy and motivation to work at such a young age. Some of them were a handful I admit but they made me smile and laugh everyday that I was in the classroom. They are an amazing group of students and Mary was an amazing cooperating teacher. I really had overall an incredible semester as a practicum student and I am excited for what next year brings.
Maren Mansfield