Going in to this semester, I knew by being a part of No Child Left Behind I was in for a real treat. I knew that I would get the chance to gain valuable experience through teaching lessons, working individually with students, and so forth. I had no idea, however, that in just five months the program would redefine who I was both personally and professionally. My “evolution” took place at Woodcock Elementary School in the Maysville community. It was here that I had the opportunity to work for the most wonderful principal in Mobile County, Mrs. Michelle Adams. It was also here that I was fortunate enough to work with Ms. Deidre Jefferson and a wonderful group of eighteen second graders. Little did I know that one semester would have such a profound impact on the rest of my life.

The first day that I walked into Woodcock Elementary I was absolutely terrified. In fact, terrified is an understatement. So many thoughts swarmed through my head. What if the students didn’t like me? What if my cooperating teacher didn’t like me? Or even worse, what if I was a horrible teacher? I didn’t know what to expect when I walked through the door of room nineteen. All that I was certain of is that I was more scared than I had ever been. After a few days, though, the fear began to subside and was replaced with a feeling of awkwardness. I didn’t know what I was expected to do during the day. Was I supposed to observe Ms. Jefferson? Was I supposed to jump in and start teaching? Or, was I supposed to be making copies, grading papers, and so forth? My awkwardness lasted through the first month and a half that I was in there. I knew that if I didn’t just close my eyes, take a deep breath, and jump in that I would never get over that feeling. So, one day I did exactly that. During journal time, I began to walk around the room. A funny thing happened. Students began to raise their hands, call on me for assistance, and ask me to read their entries. It occurred to me then that there was no reason to feel awkward. The students in our class looked at me as a second teacher, not just some person that spent the day with them. It was a wonderful feeling, and it helped to relieve some of my fears.

It took me approximately two months to really feel like I was a teacher. My first few lessons didn’t go well in my opinion, so it added to this feeling of inadequacy that plagued me. Although my cooperating teacher reassured me that I had done a wonderful job, I didn’t believe in myself. All that changed the first day that we had a substitute teacher. I had one of those substitutes that did nothing, so I had to do everything. My cooperating teacher had asked me if I felt comfortable teaching that day. I was nervous, but I thought that without having an adult watching me that I would be fine. I was right! Teaching that day empowered me! I felt like going home and shouting from the mountain top, “I am a teacher!” It was one of those wonderful experiences that has life-changing effects on a person. I was no longer the timid, insecure person that I was when I began. I was now a strong, self-confident person who was ready to take on any challenge thrown at me. I remember going home and looking in the mirror and thinking to myself, “I really am going to be a good teacher.” The next two months were a piece of cake. I embraced every chance to teach that was offered. I got brave and took on guided reading. I worked individually with struggling students. Best of all, the fruits of my efforts were being noticed. Mrs. Adams complimented me on the job I was doing. My professors, team leaders, and even the secretary and bookkeepers were offering compliments and support. The years of hard work were finally paying off, and that was an awesome feeling.

The last month or so of my field experience marked yet another turning point in my evolution. As I began to teach more and more, my teaching style began to evolve before my very eyes. I began to “loosen” my grip on my lessons. Instead of feeding my students information, I began to let them discover things on their own. I was able to become the facilitator of class discussion rather than a teacher who told her students everything they needed to know about a subject. I realized that as I evolved as a teacher, my students’ attitudes changed too. They had always been excited when I taught, but their enthusiasm had never reached the levels that they reached at the end of the year. Whereas one or two would always drift off in the middle of a lesson, I realized that now every student was competing for a chance to answer my questions and offer his or her opinion. It was wonderful to know that through my growth as a teacher, my students had grown as well. Best of all, the impact of my teaching was recognizable in my student’s performance, and that was the best part of the whole experience.

Now that the semester is coming to an end, I look back at where I was when I began. I can only say, “Wow!” I am a completely different person than I was when I began. I used to believe that I was a confident person; however I never knew real self-confidence until now. I used to stress over every little thing that went wrong in life. Now, I stress about the important things. Although this semester was not without stress, it was the kind of stress that a person could handle. I wasn’t stressed because my job was horrible or because I hated what I was doing. I was stressed because my students didn’t understand a lesson or because one of them came to school and could hardly stay awake. In addition to teaching me about a great deal about myself, No Child Left Behind taught me much about the teaching profession. The program showed me what school life was really like. It allowed me to experience the good things such as a student finally understanding a concept, while also allowing me to experience the bad things such as angry parents and frustration between teachers. More importantly, it provided me with experience that will make student teaching a breeze. I know that when I walk through the doors of Woodcock in August, I will be ready to jump right in. Still, the greatest lesson the program has taught me is one that I should have known all along- I am a great teacher! That is by far the best feeling in the world! I am so grateful to Dr. Feldman for getting this program in motion. I am grateful to my professors for the continuous amount of support and understanding that they have shown throughout this semester. This has been the experience of a lifetime, one that will continue to have impact on me for as long as I am teaching.