"And this is the fresh prince's new defintion of summer madness"

Wow. So this week I not only turned in my final Masters projected, but I also concluded my journey as a student teacher. Now that my semester is winding down and so rapidly, I am getting a little anxious! What am I to do without the students and the tons of reading? I know that sounds ridiculous, but I got used to this hectic pace and now I am a little antsy.

Plus, I really miss the students! I was so nervous around them in the beginning of the year, but they quickly became the best part of this experience for me. Our interactions have provided me with tons of laughter, enlightenment, in some cases heartbreak. We have been through a lot together and I just feel like I abandoned them! Is this how the end of the school year feels?!?! There just isn’t an activity or read aloud out there that can prepare a class to say goodbye!

So onto summer and fall plans…I am going to be a Grad Assistant for summer housing, so I have the esteemed honor of continuing to live with Penn Undergrads. As much as I love Philadelphia all year, Summer is by far my favorite season to spend here. The concert scene lights up and there are tons of free outside events. Philadelphia is the inspiration for Will Smith’s “Summertime” anthem. Need I say more?

Next year I will be back at GSE taking courses in the Teacher English to Speakers of Other Languages program. Having done my student teaching in a bilingual school, I certainly see the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, but I have also seen students whose first language is not English struggle to keep up. My goal is to teach abroad before settling in Philadelphia, hopefully working with recently immigrated populations. So this added teacher training will certainly come in handy.

This year has been an intense but rewarding experience. Teaching is an amazing profession. It is constantly evolving and challenging all participants. If I have learned anything, it is that life is not only a series of “teachable moments” but a series of learning experiences.