This semester has come to an end, and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. This is the first semester that it really feels like I’m on the road to becoming a teacher. The New Literacy class has to be my favorite of the 5 classes I took, and I promise I’m not just saying that because this blog is for the class! I really did love my experience in the class. Of course I loved my calculus class as well since math is my favorite subject, but the classes are very different.
The New Literacy class strays from all the other classes I have ever taken in college, in a good way! I have attended 3 different colleges over the past 4 years, and I have never had a class that really got me excited about my future. I think that’s why I continued to switch majors. I took a math class for the first time since high school when I went to Medaille, and that’s when I remembered how much I loved math. I knew I wanted to take more math classes so I decided to gear towards an education degree concentrating in mathematics. I knew I loved math, but I wasn’t 100% sure about becoming a teacher. Mostly because I struggle with anxiety and confidence issues so I was nervous about being comfortable in a classroom. Also, I tend to worry and be indecisive which is why I was so nervous about continuing with an education degree because I didn’t feel 100%, even though I know it’s rare for people to feel 100% about anything. It also didn’t help that when people asked what you’re going to school for and you say education all they have to say are negative comments. “It’s going to be so hard for you to find a job”. “You’re not going to make any money”. “That’s gonna be a nightmare teaching so many kids”. “Why would you want to teach math? Everyone hates math”. At times I hear positive comment, but I hear these comments a lot when I tell people I am going to teach math to high school kids.
My point of all this is that I still wasn’t sure that I was in the right major, and I really didn’t want to switch for the 4th time. Something about teaching felt right, and it made me happy thinking about being a teacher in the future. The New Literacy class is what made me realize that I was doing the right thing. It wasn’t just the discussion focused style of the class, but the people who I was surrounded by in the class. Being surrounded by future teachers and talking about our future classrooms made me confident and excited. I was most nervous about the final presentation, but that was actually my favorite part of the class. Not only presenting myself, but watching others present. Seeing my fellow classmates in their element, teaching a topic they were passionate about made me happy. When it was my turn to present I was extremely nervous, but ended up loving the experience so much. I enjoyed being able to teach something I cared very much about, and put time and effort into researching. It made me excited for teaching something I love everyday in my future classroom.
Overall, this class was such a joy to be part of. It was an amazing and different experience that I will never forget because it made me confident about being a future teacher. I am so exciting to continue my journey of becoming a teacher and gaining new knowledge. Thank you for the great experience everyone!