The other day, I was driving behind a car with an “N” and the words “student driver” on the back. It was cautiously driving and when it was time to do a left turn, the driver almost drove into oncoming traffic. Cars around it honked, some sped into the next lane and drove off annoyed but other cars were patient and followed the traffic as if it never happened.
This brought me to remember how it was like when I first learned to drive. On my driving test, I recall perfectly parallel parking, but when I first got behind the wheel, it was not a pretty sight. White-knuckled and tense, I couldn’t imagine being comfortable driving on my own. However now after many years and many miles, I feel like a veteran on the road (especially with my hour+ commute to work).
Right now, although my practicum is long over, I still feel I am walking around with a big “N” on my back. As a new teacher in my first year, I can’t imagine being comfortable on the road any time soon. I have had great support from so many different places and have been told that it “gets easier” but a long highway stretches in front of me.
I’m most definitely appreciative of the great exposure I’ve had to Twitter, blogging etc. However, with all of this exposure, I often get ahead of myself. With wanting to do so much all at the same time, envisioning myself to be a certain kind of teacher and not always being able to fulfill this vision, frustration mounts. I’ve come to realize that your practicum is not the time to be making mistakes – your first year of teaching is. How do teachers teach teachers about teaching? I was incredibly fortunate to have a faculty advisor and school advisors that trusted me and enabled me to grow. Looking back, however, the true lesson lies when you get your own classroom.
What I’ve learned is to take one step at a time and enjoy the journey along the way, despite the bumps and stop signs that are bound to come along the way. Accidents are not always your fault but there is always a way to avoid them by slowing down and keeping your eyes on the road.
