Introduction
Hello! My name is Skyler DeGrote and I am a third grade teacher.
My students call me Ms. DeGrote. We have a tight group in my classroom and we all respect one another to the best of our ability. This is my first year teaching, so I’ve decided to keep record of everything I’m learning along the way.
Student Teaching
I student taught at Blue Mountain Elementary School in Longmont, Colorado from August 2020 to November 2020. That was one of the most intense, most interesting and most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. First and foremost, our country is in the middle of a pandemic. What? Student teaching during a pandemic? Everyone told me it would be hard and frustrating. I disagree. I loved every moment of it, even when we had to teach remotely. It gave me plenty of experience in a situation that a lot of teachers don’t have experience in: Teaching Online.
My cooperating teacher (CT) was the most amazing mentor I could have asked for. She gave me honest and timely feedback and gave me suggestions on how to improve. Working with my CT, I learned so much more than I even thought was possible.
When it was my turn to take over the classroom and be the full time teacher, about halfway through my student teaching semester, my CT stepped aside. She let me do my thing and find my voice. I couldn’t have asked for a better CT or student teaching experience!
First Teaching Job
My student teaching experience ended November 2020, the week before Thanksgiving Break. My first teaching job started November 30, 2020: The day we got back from Thanksgiving Break. The timing was amazing. I had landed my first real teaching job while still student teaching. I now work at Excel Academy Charter School in Arvada, Colorado. This school is an amazing place to work. The people are like family to me and I feel included in on every part of my career. This blog will mostly be about my experiences there and how I’ve grown and what I’ve been learning along the way during my first year of teaching (in the middle of a pandemic).
My Future as an Educator
I really hope to find a school and position that speaks to me. One that tells me every day I am where I am supposed to be. That could be here at Excel or it could be someone closer to where I live, who knows!
