My first visit to the Dolac market in Zagreb, Croatia. The market hosts local farmers and vendors selling fresh produce and handmade goods, including smiley spoons!
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This weekend, my parents and I traveled to Krivi Put, Croatia: a very small, quaint mountain town near the Adriatic Coast.
Part of my mother's family originated from this town. Our family has traced back several relatives who were baptized in the beautiful local church (shown in the photos below). Everyone in the surrounding area recognizes the family name, Perpich (or traditionally spelled Prpič). It was surreal to say the least to walk through the town where my great-grandparents and other distant relatives lived. We instantly built connections with anyone we shared our family history with. I decided to share this story to show the serenity and beauty of my family's ancestral home. This emotional day serves as a personal moment in this "professional" trip. I hope you enjoy the poem I wrote while walking around the town. "A poem for Krivi Put" documents my observations and recollections of the day in a town that I will always hold close to my heart. I also want to acknowledge the immense privilege of traveling to an ancestral site like Krivi Put. It is a privilege to have rich access to family history and ancestry, and it is a privilege to travel to ancestral sites. (The photos below are all from Krivi Put and show the church, cemetery, and local café bar mentioned in the poem.)
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During the past three years, I diligently and repeatedly practiced planning, drafting, editing, and redrafting extremely detailed lesson plans that I never taught. Although this process was exhausting and seemingly pointless, it forced me to consider all the factors that I need to consider when I student teach and, eventually, have my classroom. But let me be clear! I will not be writing ten-page lesson plans as a student teacher or as a fully licensed teacher in the future. This is an unnecessary waste of time. That being said, I am still required to submit lesson plans and reflections for each lesson I teach -- whether I am formally observed or not. Since student teaching began, my lesson planning process has evolved into much simpler steps that work for me, my schedule, and my mental health. Before I start planning, I ask myself: "What do I need to write and consider to feel comfortable teaching concepts and expectations the next day?". My answer to this question varies with each lesson. For example, I will write out questions and vocabulary prompts for read-alouds, but not for the morning meeting. If an activity requires a handout or small-group work, I'll prepare one for the next day (my favorite tool is Canva because of its wide assortment of personalized templates, images, and documents). Although my daily lesson planning is much more informal, I still approach each plan with an assessment of students' skills, required accommodations, and needs. I think carefully about behavioral objectives and use them to guide lessons and follow-up activities. This "informal" process guides my more formal lesson planning required for the observations from my supervising teacher. So, I wanted to create a resource with samples of previous lesson plans and templates to reference (if you are currently in the field). I'm continuously striving to authentically represent my experience, so I wanted to share some of the critical behind-the-scenes work and reflection that goes into teacher education programs. ***All these lesson plans and checklists are created with elementary and early childhood standards in mind. The lesson planning process will look different for future secondary educators. 
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Dear Governor DeSantis and other anti-LGTBQ legislators, Let me be frank: your recently-passed legislation --the "Don't Say Gay" bill-- banning classroom instruction on LGTBQ+ people, history, or identity is harmful, discriminatory, and downright wrong. By eliminating this community of people from conversations in the classroom, you automatically silence educators' right to create safe classroom environments; apply equitable practices; and teach real, nuanced history. You silence students and their rights to freedom of expression, exploration of self and identity, and healthy growth and development. So, what are you trying to solve exactly? 
Nothing says “Happy New Year!” like professional development meetings, chaotic PA system checks, and teacher conferences. This first week of student teaching exposed me to the behind-the-scenes reality of starting a new school year. Instead of Pinterest-board classrooms, the start of the school year is founded on anxious sorting of old and new boxes, troubleshooting log in codes and student rosters, and deep breathing exercises before open house. I am incredibly grateful to join my new third-grade team on this hidden roller coaster. Teachers and school staff do so much before day one to create a safe, fun learning environment. There are endless questions –“How do we want to do things differently this year?” – and many do not yet get answered before students arrive. My new team of dedicated, kind, and strong third grade teachers led through example. Their devotion to their students shone through every question, meeting, and conference. To say that I have much to learn from them is an understatement. It is a privilege to be welcomed onto a top-notch team built on open-mindedness and self-reflection. 
A visit to Schöenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria on a 2019 high school orchestra trip.
Why do I have to choose between the things that I love? Teaching, traveling, connecting, exploring, and researching. I don't feel like I fall on the typical teaching track. I dream of expanding beyond the borders of Duluth, of Minnesota, to other countries. I dream of observing other education systems, teaching in a different language, and meeting students worldwide. The education field is rich and vast. There are many age levels, specialties, communities, demographics, languages, and platforms to work with. Teachers can work in a classroom, in the woods, in a van, in the city, in a small town, and in every space in between. So why can't I find my path? Why can't I seek out positions that don't make me choose? 
That's right folks! The school year is officially less than one month away. Usually, this time of summer signals me to start preparing for my next field experience and a semester of classes. However, this year is a little different because I am student teaching! I always feel nervous before the start of a new school year. Another year of college as an education major means putting up barriers to self-doubt, practicing mindfulness and self-compassion, and establishing a new schedule. "Am I good enough?" begins to creep back into my head. I've always found the first day in the field to be the scariest. Honestly, field experience can be kind of lonely too. I step into the classroom --representing myself as a future teacher and guest-- with vulnerability, humility, and anxiety. Each field experience taught me much about teaching, pedagogy, and the education system. Throughout the last three years, I have become an active observer of my growth, resilience, failures, mistakes, and accomplishments. So before student teaching begins, I would like to share some of my main takeaways from the past three years of volunteering in the early childhood education field. 
La Plaza España in Sevilla from one of my study abroad program's weekend excursions.
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I received this question on my Instagram page in May while preparing for my month-long study abroad program in Spain. I needed to pause and reflect on how Spanish influences my personal growth and professional development. Firstly, I want to recognize the privilege of learning a second language from a young age and traveling abroad to speak Spanish with native speakers. Although I am not fluent in Spanish, I am on the path to becoming bilingual. Throughout the past month, I gained independence in using Spanish in everyday contexts, from the market to the hospital. This post reflects my Spanish language experience, my trip to Spain, and my budding identity of being "bilingual." |
AuthorMeghan Hesterman (she/her) is a child advocate and education blogger. While a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), she created Journal of a Future Teacher to share her journey in becoming an early childhood teacher. Categories
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