My final week of student teaching

As I look back and reflect I think about how my student teaching internship has been the largest part of my life for not only the past 15 weeks but the past four years! Everything I have done my freshman, sophmore, and junior year of college was leading up to this time, this day, this moment, in which I would say goodbye to 119 students. As I think about the last 15 weeks I begin to realize the ultimately I needed them more than they needed me!

Everyday I would wake up after hitting my snooze 6 times. Even though I didn't want to wake up, I didn't want to get ready, I always wanted to see my students. The most rewarding part of my day was being greeted by a student. It was early, most of the students didn't want to be at school, but when they walked in they always told me good morning, and at that point it was no longer about me and my plans but about them and their plans. Not their plans for that day, but their plans for life! What I did in my classroom, everyday affected their future, and knowing that I had an impact on 119 futures is an incredible high.

Now that I am at the end of my student teaching intern, I realize that with my college education, with my degree, the opportunities are endless. There is so much that I could do with my life, but if at the end of the day I want to find true happiness, I'll teach Ag.

Over the past 15 weeks, if anything that I learned was valuable the most valuable is that nothing is more rewarding than being a teacher:

Nothing is more rewarding than building a relationship so strong that students beg you to stay.
Nothing is more rewarding than having a lesson that is so deep, so rich, that students want to stay in your class.
Nothing is more rewarding than being invited to a students house to see his/her SAE.
Nothing is more rewarding than when a student stays after class to to confide in you.
Nothing is more rewarding than when a student tells you that "you not only made my experience as an FFA member very enjoyable but you made my entire high school career worth it."