Transformative Moment

I had many transformative moments over my practicum experiences but one that really stood out to me, the day that I really felt like a teacher, was the day that "TOCed" in my own classroom.  My TM has a teaching partner who teaches every Wednesday and takes on all of the "fun subjects".  We joke about this but it really is true! The teaching partner teaches French, Language Arts, a bit of Math, Health and Career, PE, Visual Arts, Music, and Computers.  I classically did not teach much of the "Wednesday day" aside from taking on a few Art projects, some Math and Health and Careers just for logistics and so I would not have to coordinate with two different TM's.

It worked out really well this way and I was able to do a lot of observing until the day that the Teaching Partner was sick.  The secretary came into my room and told me Mrs. X would not be coming in and they could not find a TOC (it was the day before report cards) so I would be teaching with the principal who would come in periodically to "poke her head in" and see how I was doing.  I had a brief moment where I freaked out, because I was not sure what I was doing (in front of the principal) but then assured her that I could take it on and everything would be just fine.  It turns out that I had completely misunderstood the situation; I was supposed to let the principal teach whatever I was not prepped for because she was technically in charge and I was not allowed to be used as a TOC.  Well I found that out at the end of the day - in the mean time I decided I could teach the entire day and the principal, thinking I had prepped for the whole day, let me teach and even came in and completed an observation on me!

Looking back I realize that this entire day could have gone really south really quickly, I was teaching music on my own for the first time, as well as computers, French and Math and I had very little day plan notes to go by.  However, going through that experience, I feel like I was transformed into a teacher.  I knew that I had to take charge, teach the lesson and use the things I had been practicing to have a successful day.  Believe it or not, the day went really well - the principal even enjoyed the lesson she came to watch even though I had not prepared for it at all.  It was something I should not have done but the day was so valuable for me as a future teacher I'm glad that it happened.  I was able to try new things in a really safe space and flourish.