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One moment that shaped me happened this week during math. I introduced multiplication, and one of my students, who is often very hard on herself and doesn’t think she is smart, was struggling. I encouraged her to try and told her I would check in soon. Before I could even walk over, she came running up to me with her worksheet almost completely correct. She said, “It was hard, Ms. Illsley, but I did it. I think I’m getting it.”

I teared up because I was so proud of her.

Moments like this have reminded me that being a teacher means helping students see their own potential. Watching my students grow each week has strengthened my confidence as a teacher and confirmed that this is exactly where I’m meant to be.

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My name is Anna Illsley, and I am from New Hampshire, and I am a Senior at UNE. I am currently on my journey to becoming a teacher and getting closer and closer! I am a student teaching in a second-grade classroom for a few hours each week this semester. In the spring, I will transition into a full-time student teaching role within the school.

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A moment from the last few weeks that has shaped me into who I want to be as a future teacher has been seeing my students navigate through a lot within the classroom and at home. I have realized how important check-ins are, and being at the door each morning with a welcoming smile! This can really change a student's day. will truly strive for the rest of the year to make each of my students heard and welcome!

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My name is Zoey Houde-Crane and I am from Meriden, New Hampshire. I am a senior at UNE and I am currently doing my practicum in a first grade classroom and in January I will transition into being in that classroom full time. Last year, I completed my special education student teaching and passed my PERB! I am very excited to graduate in May and have my own classroom!

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My teacher identity has changed since the beginning of the year through experiencing what it's like to be a part of a general education team and seeing that it isn't as isolating being a classroom teacher as I previously assumed it was (in comparison to special ed).

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Hi! My name is Mackenzie Messina, I'm from Lyman, Maine, and I am a senior at UNE majoring in Elementary/Middle Education with a minor in Art. Currently on my teaching journey, I'm doing my practicum in Emileigh Durrell's 4th-grade classroom at CK Burns school. I go in all day every Friday until next semester, when I will be student teaching there full time! :)

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One moment that has shaped me so far this year was attending my first Professional Development Day! I wasn't sure exactly what this would look like going in; however, it surely exceeded my expectations! We started off the day breaking off by grade into different classrooms, sharing new things we've tried in our classes, planning "somedays", and charting/ talking about NWEA scores and where we were seeing patterns and our plans to bring up these scores. Then, after lunch, we all had a presentation from Graham Fletcher on fact fluency in multiplication and division, as well as some new strategies, lessons, and games to try during our math and intervention blocks. Overall, it was a very exciting day, and I feel like I got a lot of new tips and tricks to start in my student teaching and to carry with me in my future!

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My name is Shauna Curran and I'm from southern New Hampshire. I'm a senior at UNE majoring in Elementary Education with a double minor in Special Education and Mental Health Rehabilitation. This semester, I'm in a 1st grade class at the local primary school for my practicum placement. I have loved getting to know my students, the classroom, and school over these last few weeks. Starting in the Spring I will be student teaching in the same classroom full-time and I can't wait.

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One of the most impactful lessons I have learned since starting my practicum placement is the importance of giving students time to feel comfortable with you. Relationships do not develop overnight and neither does trust. I had always heard how essential relationships are in the classroom, but seeing this in real time has truly shaped how I view the first few weeks of school. As I have spent more time in the classroom each week, I have seen my students gradually open up and feel more comfortable around me. This experience has reminded me that building strong connections takes patience, consistency, and genuine care.

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My name is Evelynn Silva and I'm from Norton, Massachusetts. I am a senior at UNE with an Elementary Education major and Mental Health Rehabilitation minor. I am currently completing my practicum at Biddeford Primary School in Christine Duncan's Kindergarten class. I spend time at BPS on Tuesday and Friday mornings and on Wednesdays for the majority of the day. In January, I will be student teaching in my practicum placement full-time until I graduate in May.

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I feel that my teacher identity has changed as I have learned more and more about what is going on behind the scenes in the classroom. Getting to spend more time with my mentor teacher and other staff, asking questions, being a part of daily routines, and attending professional development meetings has helped me get a better understanding of what it is like to be a teacher.

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So far, one of my biggest influences has been the opportunity to work with many different teachers. Collaborating with them and spending time in their classrooms has allowed me to build my teaching toolbox and grow as an educator. These experiences have strengthened my skills and increased my confidence and comfort in the classroom over the years.

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Honestly, the biggest influence on my growth as a teacher has been the moments that didn’t go perfectly. Those challenges forced me to slow down, rethink my approach, and learn from both my students and my cooperating teacher. They taught me that teaching isn’t about perfection; it’s about staying flexible, reflective, and open to growing alongside the kids in front of me.

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One of the biggest influences on my future as an educator has been the opportunity to spend time in education settings outside of the age and type of classroom I thought I would like best. During my time as an eduction student I have been able to explore various districts, grade levels, and academic environments outside of the gen edu setting. I have had placements in literacy intervention and different types of special education classrooms. These have allowed me to better understand not only the role of other professionals in the schools, but gain a more comprehensive view of the type of supports my future students will receive. I have also taken away a plethora of strategies (both academic and behavioral) I can implement when working with students in the future! It has been so rewarding to experience the world of education beyond the general education classroom!

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Ever had a moment that made you rethink your role as a teacher? How did you handle it?  #TeacherReflections

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Ever had a moment that made you rethink your role as a teacher? How did you handle it?  #TeacherReflections

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I have not had a moment that made me rethink teaching, but I have had moments where I become frustrated, and my “teacher voice” or serious look has to come out. Those moments make me feel sad because I care deeply about maintaining positive relationships with my students. When this happens, I try to take a few minutes or wait until the next block, and then I meet with the class, a small group, or the individual student to talk through what happened and why I responded the way I did. These conversations help rebuild understanding and keep our classroom relationships strong.

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Recently, there was a hard moment in my classroom that definitely made me think. I was alone during the transition from recess to writing (which typically goes pretty smoothly), and most of my students were following instructions and waiting for me on the rug to start the writing lesson. However, after I used multiple reminders and support techniques, one of my students continued to throw his snow gear, try to get the class’s attention, ignore and mock me, and say unkind things to me. I asked him to take a break while I started my lesson, and I had the class do a turn-and-talk while I went to diffuse the situation. My mentor teacher returned to the classroom, and I asked her to have the students start their writing while I spoke with the student in the hall.

As soon as he was away from peer attention, we talked about what happened and how he was feeling. I also reestablished how I am his teacher, just like any adult in this building, and that it is unacceptable to be unsafe or use unkind words to anyone when we are feeling angry or silly. Then we worked together to brainstorm different ways we could handle a situation like that going forward. The next morning, I pulled him aside and spoke with him, reminding him of what we had discussed, that he is in control of his actions, and that I know he can make safe choices, use kind words, and listen to the teachers. We ended the conversation on a high note with encouraging words and a high five, and that day was much better. Since then, he has been coming up to me throughout the day for a hug, to chat about different things, and to help him find solutions when he’s stuck on a problem.

The situation was stressful, and I was worried that I would say the wrong thing, lose more control of the class, and not be able to help all of my students. However, the situation provided many reminders. It’s okay to ask for support during escalated situations. When things get hard, I can take a deep breath, not take things personally, and trust that I can handle it. I can be firm with expectations and follow through, doing so in a kind way while still maintaining positive relationships. This moment was hard, but it was a learning opportunity for me, and I continue to bring it with me each day I am in the classroom.

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There was one moment in particular that I feel shaped my teaching identity. We had a student join our class right before I began solo teaching. He was moved as he was not being successful behaviorally in his own classroom. I was nervous for how the change would go for him and our overall classroom environment/dynamic. However, I entered the change with an open mind and used it as an opportunity to give him a fresh start. We set up the space and his belongings like he was a new student. We also explained to our other students that they would need to be patient and good examples while he learned our rules and expectations. My cooperating teacher and I also used lots of praise and reminded him that we were excited he was in our room. Overall his transition was amazing and he has even become a role model at times for other students. I am so proud of his growth and it is a such a nice reminder of how important an open mind, positive language, and even a new environment can be.

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While I never rethought the idea of teaching all together, I have had moments that made me question my own abilities. I noticed early on that when my cooperating teacher was not in the classroom our students were more chatty and tried to stretch the rules. I was using similar language and we reminded the students that expectations stay the same, but our students were still straying from their typical behavior. I spoke with my cooperating teacher, other staff members, and peers who all said that this was normal. The children were adjusting to change and remaining consistent with the expectations was the best way to smooth out the transition. Overtime things got better, it was a good reminder to give myself grace, stay positive, and consistent.