From the Perspective of Chicago Semester Student Teachers

Monday, May 2, 2011

Student Teaching - Weeks #13 & #14

by Kathryn Williams - Taft High School

Well, Spring Break is over, and we are back in the swing of things—sort of.  For us secondary teachers, we have had two or three full days of testing this week.  The students take the ACT (for free) at school as part of the Prairie State Exam.  So the juniors have two days of testing where the other students are not required to come to school.  At some of the other schools they are testing freshmen and sophomores on Friday, but for me, all the students are “required” to come on Friday, but few of them will show up after their two days off.

However, with Spring Break over, I am no longer teaching any lessons, I gave my cooperating teacher full control back.  My duties consist of communicating with students about work they still have out from the last chapter I taught and sometimes putting in attendance.  It is really nice to have a lot less responsibility!

Grant Park

I have attached some pictures of spring, all from a few blocks away from my apartment.  I thought you would like to know that even though we’re in the city, we can still see a lot of beauty as spring comes!  It is really nice. 

Tulips on the sidewalk


As the semester closes, it is a little sad to be saying goodbye to everyone, but I feel extremely prepared for what is ahead of me.  I am still job hunting, but I am confident in my ability to be a good teacher next year.  I am glad that I chose to participate in Chicago Semester, because there is no way I would have had a similar experience anywhere else.