Positive Experiences | Student Teaching in Third Grade - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Receiving hugs and pictures from students
Students passing their multiplication tests
Students feeling proud of their work
Students who tell you jokes
My cooperating teacher said that it seems like I’ve been teaching math for a long time. 🙂
Realizing that I am teaching these children many fundamental concepts that they will remember and use throughout their entire lives
When students do great on an assessment about a lesson you taught
Students choosing a science party as their class party
Students having fun and laughing during a class game
A student asked me, “when you become a teacher, will you teach here?”
When shy students have the courage to answer a question
When students go above and beyond what you asked them to do
When students are eager to answer your questions
The pure joy on a student’s face when she gets to sit at the teacher’s desk all day
Changing a lesson on the fly and having it go smoothly
Receiving a valentine from a student
When my cooperating teacher told me that she feels like she’s watching a real teacher and not a student teacher
When the entire third grade team makes copies of my study guide
Eating lunch with students and learning more about their lives
A student told me that whatever third grade class gets me next year will be happy to have me because I’m so nice 🙂
Students made their own connections by finding angles around the room after an angle lesson.
When my supervisor told me that I’m a strong student teacher
When my students informed me that I say “hmm interesting” every time they share something with me
Watching boys in my class dance to a Taylor Swift song
When students did well on an outcome test from a unit I taught to them
When a student asks if she can help me grade papers
Eating lunch with students
Engaging students in lessons by incorporating their obsession with shopkins
Getting students excited about a book when they initially had no interest in it
When a student discovers the formula for area on her own
Watching my students perform in the school talent show
Proudly watching my students present their animal reports that they worked on for a month
When students are proud to show you awards they won over the weekend
When students are extremely excited about the book you’re reading and want to share predictions
When students make connections to other lessons you taught them
The fact that students created “hug day” on Fridays where they hug each other
When students say they’ll miss me over Spring Break
A student said that I will be a great teacher
A student asked if I would teach fourth grade next year so I can be his teacher again
When a student believes in himself and perseveres because you told him you believe in him