Review of second year practicum

Throughout my second year practicum I learnt a lot regarding my teaching style and many tips and tricks. I was lucky enough to have the AT I had, someone who was open to helping me grow and allowed me to try new things. We have had many discussions in my previous education classes that have had an affect on how I think about teaching. I learnt about creating positive relationships with student and encouraging them to develop a growth mindset. I will never forget how much my students taught me about how to be a great teacher. The most important thing I learnt all semester was the value of having strong student-teacher relationships. Once I developed those strong relationships full of trust and positivity students were more willing to participate. When I first arrived I noticed that my AT had difficult relationships with some students. These particular students struggled with individual work, math, attention, and attitude. I figured why not focus on these students and see if I can make a difference in their learning. So I put a little more effort in reaching out to them during lessons and guiding them to participate in class discussions. The growth I saw over the course of my practicum was incredible. These students gained confidence and a desire to learn. I hope that they can remember that they are capable of growth even when I'm not there. The growth mindset ties into this story very well. When I first started observing their behaviour in the classroom, they were misbehaving, interrupting for attention, and had little to no confidence. However, with guidance and positive reinforcement, the students could sense their own growth.