RTBC Day Nine: Flying Solo

Reflective Teaching Blog Challenge – Day Nine: Write about one of your biggest accomplishments in your teaching that no one knows about (or may not care).

Part of being an English teacher in the EPIK program means working with a co-teacher in the classroom. However, this past week I was faced with the challenge/opportunity of teaching not one, but TWO classes all on my own! And get this: the students and I both survived, and maybe even thrived!

In the minutes before these classes, part of me was absolutely terrified to stand alone in front of a room full of students who barely understood a word I said. I dreaded the process of presenting vocabulary and explaining activities without my co-teacher being there to come to my rescue. And I almost had to sit down at the thought of how I would discipline the students if trouble came along.

But then the bell rang. Class began. And the rest is a blur. I vaguely remember students running back and forth across the room, shouting excitedly during a relay game. And every now and then I get flashbacks of the lessons moving along relatively well thanks to adequate planning. But beyond that I can’t tell you what happened. One minute class was starting, and the next thing I knew I was back at my desk.

I only know one thing for sure. I did it! To a normal or seasoned teacher, it may not sound like much. But I’m definitely counting these two classes as some of my earliest accomplishments. Not only did I come to appreciate the presence and help of my co-teacher even more than I already did, but I developed more confidence in my ability to lead and teach a class while flying completely solo!