My field experience has been an absolute pleasure and I have been incredibly thankful for the opportunity I was given. I was gifted with the ability to sit in on various grade levels throughout an elementary school. While I have always been confident in my decision to become a teacher, this experience has reassured me that I am on the right path. In every classroom I entered I was greeted with warm smiles and happy hellos by both the teachers and the students. Although I was a stranger in their class they made sure I felt welcomed into their environment. I learned the value of a simple welcome and I can only dream to bring this same energy into a classroom of my own one day.

I also hope to one day build a strong and positive relationship with my students just as I witnessed during my experience. The students were always happy to see their teacher and would feel safe enough to share stories about their life. I saw how the positive relationship between student and teacher allowed the students to have the confidence to speak to the class and actively learn and listen to the teacher.

When I first entered the classrooms I quickly took notice of the classroom layout and paid attention to how it honored different ways of knowing and doing. They were all structured to aid in all different types of learning habits. I saw large rubber bands across the two front legs of students’ desks which provided students with a place to rest their legs or fidget with their feet if need be. Every student had their own desk which provided them with their personal space and many classes had standing desks for anyone to use. Throughout a teacher’s lesson, I would watch as students would quietly get up and stand at the desk as they no longer wanted to sit. I loved seeing these classroom layouts as it showed an understanding of students’ different learning needs. Not everyone can sit still and the classroom layout provided students with sources for them to move and fidget without disrupting the rest of the class. It respected the students’ individual ways of knowing and doing.

Overall, I have nothing but gratitude for this experience and opportunity. I was able to take note of various teachings and strategies that I would want to incorporate into a classroom of my own one day. This experience has only provided me with excitement for the years to come in my teaching journey.