Student Teaching - End of Semester

by Kristin Trease - Kelvyn Park High School

Life in the City

As the weather has gotten colder, my activities outside of school have lessened. I become a sort of shut in when it’s cold out and the sky is dark at five. It doesn’t help that I’ve been swamped by a recent attack of grading and homework to do. I’ve also come down with a little bit of a bug that makes me want to do nothing but watch movies and sleep when I get home from school every day. Does not help productivity.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am officially okay with Christmas music and decorations that have been sneaking into the city since before Halloween. Besides watching the Macy’s Day Parade all the way through for the first time in my life (this is what happens when I can’t afford to go home for Thanksgiving), I have found other small ways to get into the holiday spirit. Last week I got to go see Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” performed at the Goodman Theatre. It was so good. If I stay in Chicago, it is going to become my new holiday tradition. Or maybe it will be my holiday tradition anyway; the show is mounted everywhere during the Christmas season. However, I’m not sure many theatres can beat the Goodman.

Life in the Classroom

Goodbye Kelvyn Park

I have begun to step down from teaching. This coming week will be my last, and I will be teaching two classes Monday and none by Thursday. It’s been hard letting go so far, for both me and the students. They will see me in the hall and ask why I wasn’t in their class period. One girl ran and hug attacked me. Makes me feel very, very loved. I have a feeling Friday is going to be the hardest day of the semester.

This will officially be my last blog post for Chicago Semester. What an adventure the past few months have been. I have learned so much, not only about teaching, but about myself. I have made some really amazing friends, been touched by some really fantastic students, and laughed so much. There is no way I could capture this semester in one paragraph, so I’m going to stop trying. It has been life changing. It has been eye opening.  It has been blessed.