You know the saying “when it rains, it pours”…yes…that was my week. This post is meant to take a step back from the classroom and look into the realities of being a student teacher, a role model, a planner, a student at college, and did I mention a human? I’m human and humans get sick. When you’re student teaching you think you’re invincible and that because you’ve been around so any kids for the last year and a half that nothing can bring you down. I pushed myself for a week until I realized my body needs to rest otherwise I am not giving the kids my all and that is not fair and that is not a great teacher. Aside from hand sanitizer and over the counter medications being my top items in my purse each day to school, I still made sure I had the lessons prepared, sub plans prepared for if I couldn’t make it, and that I was still giving my all. Unfortunately, there just comes a time where your body reminds you that you still need to take care of yourself despite the craziness that happens around you: teaching, homework, lesson plans, meetings, personal life, and all things college. I finally had to take my first sick day, and it was needed. Getting an upper respiratory infection and strep really just are a terrible combination and a need to stay home. So, I stayed home and I did miss my students. I missed my routine and I knew that my cooperating teacher would (obviously) handle everything just fine, I just like being in the classroom and teaching the students!

I wake up Thursday, feeling better and ready to go to placement. I let me cooperating teacher and supervisor know that I will be in! I’m feeling good, antibiotics are working, I have an interview Friday I have to miss another day of placement for, but regardless I am ready for the day. On my way to placement, 10 minutes into the car ride I think “damn, I should have just stayed home”. Driving to placement I got struck by a driver who failed to stop at a stop sign completely and try to cut through 4 lanes of traffic. Well the car definitely cut through 2 lanes…and into my car. The worst part of it all? I was really excited to be teaching the day’s lesson. All I wanted was to rewind and either just have had a sick day or have had left 5 minutes earlier so this would not have happened. I panicked and after calling my parents I immediately called my cooperating teacher. Needles to say, I knew that my kids would know about this moment and I was okay with that. My coop came right to the accident and dealt with me and my car that was destroyed. She reminded me life still has its ups and downs.

Ms. P