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.
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What does being an “educator” look like? To me, being an educator extends beyond a classroom. It starts with building a community with other teachers, teacher candidates, students, professors, and professionals. This community, just like knowledge, continuously expands with more experience and time. Being an educator takes initiative, perseverance, and confidence. Placing myself in new, uncomfortable positions is a part of the learning process. Seeking out resources and listening to others' perspectives keep me grounded and alert. "Fake it until you make it" is my daily mantra. I recognize the spaces for growth within the education system, research, and my practice. I learned to question what "effective practice" looks like. Experience in a classroom confirms or denies what is taught in my textbooks and curriculum. I am an agent of change. I am creative, adaptable, and capable. I push the boundaries of what it means to be an "educator" through my everyday actions. However, being an “educator” looks different for each teacher and teacher candidate. There is no one right way to be or become an educator. Throughout the past year, I researched the changing perception of effective early childhood practice I understand that it takes an anti-racist, critical lens --constantly questioning myself and providing curricula-- to progress my field and classroom. I can contribute to systemic change through my everyday actions, decisions, conversations, and read-alouds. My research project --“Stories, Values and Children's Books: Portraits of Three White Preschool Teachers Committed to Anti-Racist Pedagogy”-- is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning, growing, and acting as an agent of change. Although my formal research is (almost) complete, I am just getting started. Come along with me as I take you through the tumultuous journey of my undergraduate capstone research project! 
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This summer, I began to research antiracist teaching practices and strategies for my junior capstone project. While working on my literature review and browsing through social media, I stumbled across articles and posts addressing "Critical Race Theory," or CRT. Since my research centers on current teaching practices that address race and racism, I was intrigued by this practice. Does it apply to early childhood education? Is it a newly founded strategy? And, most of all, why is it getting so much backlash? The pushback against CRT and other antiracist practices in schools starts an important conversation. Why are families, school districts, and politicians (who are unsurprisingly majority white) uncomfortable with teachers actively choosing curriculum that addresses the truths about racism? Let's talk about it. 
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Welcome back, education enthusiasts! In this post, I will be sharing five tips for leading effective, meaningful read alouds. These tips are for everyone! There are several ideas surrounding read alouds. So, to clear the air, I have provided a definition of "read aloud" (from my course readings). Read aloud: a shared, out loud reading of a book to one child or a group of students Read alouds are an essential activity to include in early childhood classrooms because they provide several benefits for children's literacy development, including. . .
A read aloud can be a magical learning experience for young children. However, you cannot simply read a book aloud to lead a meaningful read aloud. To ensure you create a rich, enjoyable reading experience, explore the tips below! 
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Welcome back to the blog, education enthusiasts!
For those of you who are new. . . My name is Meghan, and I am a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Duluth studying early childhood education and Spanish. I created Journal of a Future Teacher in May, 2020 to share content on important educational topics and my journey in becoming a teacher! To learn more, visit the About page. In this post, I discuss “writing on the job” from the perspectives of two early childhood teachers! Although it is not often discussed, you will need strong communication and writing skills to be a successful teacher. Read on to learn about the information I gathered from the interviews and other outside resources! Want to buy the books mentioned in the recording?
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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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