RachelFor the first time in 17 years of schooling, I wake up each morning excited to go to school. And not just any school, but a local middle school.
That’s right—read that again. I wake up excited to go to middle school.
What is an Early Field Placement?
Allow me to explain. The University of Illinois has a fabulous education program. There are truly so many positive things I could say. But today, I will focus on one; U of I knows how to prepare pre-service teachers by throwing them into a classroom of wide-eyed 13-year-olds very early on. While overwhelming at first, this experience and exposure is what makes a great teacher.
For the past 10 weeks, I have been student teaching at a local middle school, and it has been a heck of a learning experience. It’s not every day that college students get to take the material they are learning and directly apply it to their field. My time teaching has not only reinforced a passion for what I have always wanted to do, but has taught me the value of an education at the University of Illinois.
And That’s Not All!
If I can leave you with one thing, it is this: no matter your major, the University of Illinois has to tools for success. While student teaching is specific to education majors, parallels of success can be seen throughout the school as a whole.
There is no shortage of internship or mentorship opportunities. I look back on the pre-service teacher I was three years ago, when I first stepped foot into a classroom as Ms. Hernandez, and am proud of the teacher I have become.
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