Grace Phelps

Greetings and Salutations!

I recently finished my semester as a student teacher in the fifth grade. This was such an adventure and I was challenged in so many ways. I wanted to share the three biggest lessons I learned through this time.

First things first, I want to shoutout my mentor teacher and students who helped me grow in so many ways! They are all truly incredible.

#1. Find Your People

Teaching is hard. Period.

Because of this, it is so critical to find and build a supportive community around you. I was blessed to be able to go home each day to a strong group of friends who encouraged and supported me throughout the semester. However, I was also so blessed to be able to work with a team of four other fifth grade teachers who supported me and walked with me through the semester.

The way these four teachers opened their classrooms and hearts to me was such an encouragement to me. It was so important for me to learn that I did not have to struggle alone and that I was not on my own when things started going south. These teachers helped me find the joy in teaching everyday and I am beyond grateful for their love and support.

#2. Focus on the Good & Choose Joy

Honestly, student teaching was one of the most challenging experiences I have had. It pushed me in every way and grew me everyday. Through this time, I learned the importance of choosing joy and focusing on the good. It is so easy to focus on all the things that go wrong or all the ways students are not meeting expectations, but when I shifted my perspective to notice the strengths of my students and the beauty in teaching, it had such a powerful impact on how I acted in the classroom.

When I took time to noticed the strengths of my students, I was able to empower and equip them to do their best. In the moments when I took time to be thankful for what was going well, it helped me to not become overwhelmed by all the things that were going wrong. This perspective shift changed my outlook on teaching and helped me to actually have fun with my students in the work I was doing.

#3. Pray, a lot.

Ultimately, I could implement everything I had been taught and do my personal best, but I could do nothing without God’s strength. There were so many moments where I did not know what to do or what to say, but when I prayed and asked God, he gave me exactly the words to speak.

Plus, God knew what each student needs so much better than I did. I believe when we take time to seek his heart and understand how he created each student, we are able to teach and empower them so much more powerfully.

For example, there was a student in my class who constantly interrupted and shouted out during my instruction. As I was praying for wisdom about how to teach this student, I felt like God highlighted three things that I needed to know. It was as if he was saying, “I have created this child to be an advocate, they are a leader and they need to know they are enough, seen and loved.” Once I heard this from God, I knew how to teach and instruct this child in a way that led them into truth, held them accountable and empowered them to be who they were created to be.

May I encourage you to take time to pray over your students!! God is bigger than any obstacle you may be facing in the classroom.

If you are an educator or a student teacher, I so honor you for your dedication to the younger generations. You are making an impact, know you are loved. ❤