Week 15: The Hardest Parts Of My Gettysburg Goodbyes

Final day with my Animal Care II class

Writing this final blog post is one of the hardest things that I've had to do this semester! I never could have imagined how attached I would have become to these amazing students in Gettysburg! Although there were many challenges that I had to overcome with teaching, if I could go back and do it all again, I would in a heartbeat! This experience of student teaching was extremely nerve-racking and I was very unsure of how I would be at the end! I am so beyond blessed though for all of the opportunities that I had in Gettysburg and would like to reflect on some of my highlights from these past 15 weeks! 

When I first began, it was clear to see that I would have big shoes to fill when taking over the classes for 
my cooperating teachers! I would like to thank Ms. Timmons and Mrs. Kennedy for serving as the best mentors for me along my teaching journey. They both have unique teaching styles, but both are some of the best teachers that I have ever met! Thank you both for modeling such high qualities of teaching and your constant dedication to the student at Gettysburg! I truly appreciate all of the wisdom that you shared with me and cannot wait to apply all of the great ideas I learned from both of you in my future classroom! Thank you, Mrs. Kennedy and Ms. Timmons, you both truly made a huge difference in my life! 

As I began to pick up more and more classes, I began to learn what my teaching style was and how to make sure I was meeting the needs of every student. When I first began student teaching, I knew that I wanted to do something different in every class. Whether it was incorporating bellwork/exit ticket sheets or a classroom lab notebook, I really enjoyed trying new strategies in each class! 

Some of the highlights from teaching would simply be all of the individual connections I made with each student! I enjoyed attending basketball, wrestling, track, and softball games to cheer on my students! Each of them truly has a great heart and I am so excited to see what they achieve in their futures! 

Another fantastic highlight was working with the FFA chapter! The Battlefield FFA truly amazed me and gave me so many fantastic memories! These students worked so hard to prepare for their competitions and also to fundraise to be able to attend leadership conferences! I will always cherish the countless laughs from the restaurants, to the van rides, and everything in between! 

To the faculty, staff, administration, and students at Gettysburg Area High School, thank you so much for welcoming me into your community! Each individual connection truly made my experience priceless and I will always hold onto the great memories at this school! Thank you students for teaching me so much along my journey and for the incredible experience of being your student teacher! Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things to do and I am looking forward to visiting soon! 

What a great group of FFA Officers! 

Student teaching taught me so many lessons and helped me grow not only as a teacher, but as a leader, advisor, coach, mentor, friend, and overall person as a whole. I know that I am nowhere near perfect, but I was able to grow in so many areas that I am excited to continue to grow better every day! I am sad to close this chapter in Gettysburg and Penn State, but looking forward to starting my new chapter at Cumberland Valley! I am looking forward to joining such a strong program and hope to help continue to make it grow! 

I would finally like to thank all of my supporters that helped me get to this point! Thank you to my family and friends for all of your support along the way! Thank you to my amazing cohort members that truly made my Penn State experience unforgettable! Whether it's through giving advice or sharing funny stories, I couldn't have made it through without you all! I would finally like to thank all of my professors and especially my university supervisor, Dr. Foster! Thank you for always providing encouragement and support whenever I needed it! Thank you for pushing me to be the best teacher I can be, it truly made such a difference! 

Student teaching was such a great experience and I am so blessed for all of the memories made! Thank you for following me on my student teaching journey!

Finished our wildlife service project 

Thank you to my horticulture class 
for the sweet goodbye banner