Student teaching: the ultimate education major rip off

For those of you that are unaware, I applied for a teaching job in a rural part of Alaska not too long ago. Truthfully, I was rather excited about the prospect of teaching in the wild, frigid tundra. Stories of school doors frozen shut, transportation by snow mobile and a flannel and jeans dress code had romanticized the idea for me (I know right, what the heck is wrong with me, right?!) It seemed like such a crazy adventure! One that would allow me to figure out what I was really made of. Then I realized something....

I'm made mostly of water. This is what happens to water in the extreme cold-

Yes, so at least for now, I am letting my week vacation in Alaska suffice to cure me of my sense of adventure. 

Okay, sidenote- I was doing some minor landscaping today and in my haste to cut down a part of a bush, I poked myself very squarely in the eye. Usually, I would be wearing glasses that would have maybe saved me from my current fate. But sadly, I now look something like this-

Jusssst kidding. But I might be partially blinded. Which MEANS that taking pictures in Alaska is going to be all the more important for me because I might miss some things with this bad eye. 

Really though, this blog is not about my eye or how cold I might potentially be starting next Sunday. It's about the art/act of student teaching. As an education major who wanted a teaching license, I knew that ultimately, my undergraduate career would climax with my student teaching. It's a 16 week experience that will really tell a person a lot about how they will be in a classroom of their own. By the end of 16 weeks you are supposed to have full control of the day to day classroom activities. Because I knew that I wanted to teach from day one, I was excited about student teaching and enjoyed every single day I was there. In 16 weeks, I missed only one day for a sad sad circumstance. I was at school from 6:45/7am until 4pm on most days, after which I would come home, grab a quick dinner, and then sit down to make lesson plans and grade papers. For me it was an incredible experience, but I do understand why some of my peers were less than pleased with their experience.

Some people had super controlling cooperating teachers. These are the people who offer up their classrooms and offer to supervise us in our first teaching experience. You would hope that they would want us to learn and they would support us 100%. I was lucky enough to have that experience. Some of my peers were barely allowed to breathe in their teachers' classrooms. Had that been my experience, I would have lasted 1 day. Then I would have walked down to the principal's office and demanded a new cooperating teacher. Because when it comes down to the facts, we all deserve that one shot in the classroom for the following reasons.

1) We are paying for it, via tuition (most majors have paid or perhaps unpaid summer internships- student teaching is the internship you pay for.) Wrapped up in that tuition is a small fee that the cooperating teacher gets paid. Granted, it's not much, but regardless, you offered me an experience in your classroom. Don't collect your check and continue to be a control freak.

2) YOU OFFERED. The cooperating teachers usually offer to be cooperating teachers. Don't pretend like they shoved me in your classroom while you were under duress. 

3) If given a chance to excel, many well prepared student teachers will relieve the cooperating teacher of many of their classroom duties, giving them a lot of free time. I mean, seriously. It's like having a sub for 16 weeks. 

4) All cooperating teachers were once student teachers. Don't you want to have a hand in training your future colleagues? 

Pish posh. I don't regret a single day I spent in the classroom. We made a zoo, and investigated skinned lamb's head, and held snakes, and made up songs about parasites and watched hilarious mollusk videos. And I'm telling you all of this now because I went back to the classroom that I taught in for their last day of school. And let me just tell you, I was beyond welcomed. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but some of those kids shrieked when they saw me. One girl came running in the room, not because she saw me, but because she heard my voice. I mean, really? 7th graders rock:) 

Thusly, here is what I think about the challenge of getting a job-

Attention all schools in the world: I am not giving up. You can send me rejection emails, and leave me rejection voicemails, or never respond at all. You can tell me I'm not qualified or suggest that I don't have the experience you are looking for. But I plan to leave an impression wherever I go. A good one. And I will do that in a classroom, where the youth can benefit. 

"Life is whatever I receive it to be." -Beckah Shae

I receive it to be a challenge worth challenging. Take that bears. Take that.