Today concludes week 6 of my student teaching internship at Mascoma Valley Regional High School. This fall, I am doing 12 weeks of student teaching and working on my portfolio to complete my NH 7-12 Earth/Space science teaching certification.
I'm learning a lot. That's my sugar-coated way of saying that I have more frustrating days than successful days. I like to be challenged. I always have. This fall has allowed me to realize that not all challenges are equally solvable and not all challenges are fulfilling.
The Dartmouth part of my program - specifically the grad-level seminar that goes along with student teaching - has been disappointing. It's easier said than done, but I believe that I can have a meaningful experience student teaching despite the lack of support on the Dartmouth end. I am trying to see this as an opportunity to take initiative to push myself, a chance to direct my own learning. So far, this has been much harder than I expected. I have a lot of room to improve on that front.
I'm helping to coach the cross country team, which has been a wonderfully positive experience. It's a small team - only 6 athletes - but a great group of kids. Going to practice is a highlight of a lot of days. I'm very thankful that the team has welcomed me. I'm really proud of how hard the runners work, how supportive they are of one another, and how much each runner has improved since practice began in mid-August. I hope that I can coach again in the future - wherever I might be.
