Jessica Quezada

TTE 493D
April 25, 2015
Student Teaching Final Reflection
This while year has been a great learning experience for me. I didnt really know what to
expect as I was going into an elementary setting. The environment was completely different, but
because of this experience I have better idea of where I would like to be teaching in the years to
come.
I had always felt that one of my weaknesses when it came to teaching, were my
classroom management skills. I tend to be soft-spoken so it is harder for me to get students
attention, and keep it. This class of students has really challenged me as a teacher, and it has
made me consider my classroom management skills. I have identified strategies that do and dont
work for students and for myself. I am now more confident in my management skills, and I have
a plan for how I will establish my on techniques in my classroom.
In my preschool placement it was easy to communicate with parents, because of their
constant involvement in the classroom. I saw every parent on a daily basis, and they always had
a good idea of what we were doing in the classroom. Going into an elementary school setting, I
didnt know what to expect, but I soon realized how different it was. Many students come in on
the bus, and others are simply dropped off in front of the school. It is difficult to have face-toface communication, and our constant form of communication between parents and us is the
newsletter that we send out on a weekly basis. I personally dont feel that newsletters are enough,
since we should be communication personal information about students on a regular basis. Since
I will be teaching in an elementary school setting, in the next year, it has made me think of how I
will involve parents in the classroom community, and make them aware of their childs learning.
Another aspect of the school that I have appreciated is the sense of community that is
established. Everybody has a sense of responsibility for the school, and to helps every student
succeed. The sense of community also means that there is a lot of communication between
teachers which involves co-planning, and co-teaching. This has been one of the most enjoyable
parts of my student teaching experience. Not only learning from my mentor teacher, but learning
from all of the other teachers in the community as well.

Even though my student teaching experiences took me from a preschool setting, to a

kindergarten classroom, I had two completely different experiences. Each one of them helped me
to grow, and become a better teacher because of it. I now more fully understand who I am as a
teacher, and the strategies that work well for me.