Officially graduated!

Well, the last time I blogged was quite a while ago! I have been REALLY busy as of late. The last 16 weeks have kept me occupied with the final part of my degree....student teaching. While I have been teaching full time during the day, I have also been maintaining a 35 hour work week at Walgreens (have to pay the bills somehow)! But, today sadly marks the end of my college journey.

I have been placed in a sixth grade Social Studies classroom at De Forest Middle School. If you had asked me 6 months ago, I would have NEVER said that I would be in a Social Studies setting, but it has been absolutely wonderful! I have had the best time with the students, they each bring a new adventure to the classroom and make the school day fun and exciting. I love the middle school atmosphere, and now I know that I can handle just about any grade level that is offering a job!

I have worked with the students in some really fun activities. We did an immigration unit where the students were "immigrants" coming from other countries, and had to pass through inspections at Ellis Island before they were granted entrance to America. I put together a really cool lesson on the Panama Canal, that included some pictures from when I went as a sixth grader. I also had the students put together a little skit about an event that happened in WWI between the Germans and the French at Christmas.

I have had the greatest learning experience, and now I am excited, but scared to death because I am on my own next time! I hope I will be as confident with my own classroom as I have been with my student teaching classroom!

It was a bittersweet ending today. I was happy to be completely finished, but I have gotten so attached to the students over the course of the semester! It was hard to clean out my desk and say good-bye. Most of the students were crying this afternoon too, but I will definately go back to visit....maybe even sub too!!!!