The day had finally arrived! December 12th: The day I got to visit my school, meet my co-op, and students for the upcoming spring semester!

Upon first arriving at the classroom door, I paused for a minute before knocking, staring in, with a smile on my face. Those students sitting at the desks were going to be the ones I would be spending my last semester with as an Elementary Education major. This was the class I was going to be student teaching. What an amazing opportunity to be a positive influence on the lives of so many students!

With a mix between being barely able to contain my excitement and a bit nervous about meeting these third graders and my cooperating teacher in person for the first time, I knocked at the door.  The nerves escalated slightly when I realized I probably didn’t knock hard enough because my cooperating teacher kept on talking to the students. Well do I knock again? Do I slowly and least awkwardly as possible try to make my way in? Definitely knock. Slowly, the little heads began to turn to the right in my direction as I made my way in.

As a preservice teacher, I supposed it is inevitable to say goodbye to a group of students. Ending my last student teaching experience from fall semester when I was in a kindergarten classroom two days a week was hard. I know that this will be hard too, but right now I am excited. I am anxious to get started. I am anxious to go back to third grade after thirteen years. I am thrilled to have the chance to make a difference in the lives of each eight and nine year old in the classroom where I will be spending the next sixteen weeks.

I can’t wait to see what is in store, what funny stories I will be able to tell, and the chance to learn alongside my students. Let the student teaching experience begin!