We’re about halfway through January now. While my last article talked about being ready for my break to end and the next semester to start, I do have to admit: I’m super nervous. You see, it’s my senior year and I’m in an education program. This spring semester, I’m going to be student teaching. Now, it won’t be my first time in a school nor will it be my first time teaching (thanks, Field Periods!). So, why should I be nervous? Well…

Anyone Who Isn’t Nervous For Their Final Internship/Evaluation Is Probably Too Cocky

Anyone can tell you that confidence is key, and that’s true. It is important to be confident. However, everything needs balance. It is important to believe in your skills, but it is also a good thing to be open to learning more.

Responsibility For Another Teacher’s Students

I think this is what makes me the most nervous. I’m going into someone else’s classroom and I’m going to be teaching their students. Sure, I’ll have some time to get to know the students and develop my lessons to suit their needs, but what if I screw up? If I screw up in my own classroom, it falls back on me, but if I screw up in another teacher’s room, it looks bad on them!

Spring In New York Means Reviewing For Regents Exams

I’m not going to hide my opinion that standardized tests have destroyed the education system, but the fact is that they’re here. This means that I am going to be partially responsible for making sure that my host teacher’s students are prepared to take their Regents exams. This means review lessons. Personally, I like the idea of introducing new material rather than reviewing. But like it or not, students need refreshers from the beginning of the year. Here’s the thing, I don’t know how their teachers taught at the beginning of the year. If I review something using a different method, I’m only going to confuse the students. This is easily solved by communicating with my host teacher, true, but I’m still worried about it!

I’m Closer To Graduating

Okay, not all of my nerves are from the actual process of student teaching. I’m a senior. I’m graduating in May. I’m already looking into jobs for after college, but I do worry about actually finding one. I often find myself worrying about what I’m going to do if I can’t get a job right out of college. I need to get myself right into the field! I think plenty of people worry about finding a job when they don’t have one.

I Won’t Be A Student Much Longer

Being a teacher means being a lifelong learner (I don’t think many teachers would disagree with that statement), but I have a particular love of being a student. I love to learn new things alongside my classmates and friends. I’m earning a Bachelor’s in Education, but I would love to get so many other degrees as well! Or even just take more classes! I think my biggest worry is that I won’t be able to do that.

So, while not all of my nerves are about student teaching, I’m having a tough time deciding if I want this break to take a little longer or if I want to dive right into student teaching. I still have a few weeks, but ready or not, the Spring semester is upon us.