My Last Day in Pomaria

Goodbye Pomaria: I'll miss you!

The amazing Room 9!!

The table spread of our shared lunch. I don't know if it is part of Maori culture, but I do know they love big feeds, but Jan gave out a notice earlier in the week for each student to bring a plate of goodies or lunch things for us all to share for lunchtime. It was amazing! The parents were so generous, and that really made me grateful because most of these parents are lower socioeconomic and their kids come to school without any lunches, and their parents found the time and money to give to the lunch. I have never met more generous people. It was a glorious lunch, heaps of food, and not enough for even our class to eat, so we invited another neighboring class and eventually all the delicious meat pies, cakes, chips, watermelon, and goodies were gone.

I'm ready to go!

Kara and me walking for the last time to school :) and :(

It was a bitter sweet day. Sweet because I loved being in Room 9 with all the children and Jan, eating a shared lunch, learning, singing, and enjoying our last day together, but bitter because I know that I won't be back to visit them and it really is goodbye. At the end of the day all the students got into a circle and Jan had Logan (who was my student I worked with for CPSE class) give me a book the class compiled together of their love for me. It was darling, and the writing is beautiful and the pages are filled with glitter and paper hearts (each paper is in a page protector, so it is not messy). Of course, I would have cried if I read the words right then, and I was already tearing up, so I waited to read the notes after school. Kids say the cutest things :) Their favorite thing about me was the dance I taught them about the angle of the axis (thanks Kara for the idea). It made me smile :) Then I gave them my love notes and lollies, but something horrible happened. Late last night while I was writing the notes I checked the class list to make sure I got every student covered, but I forgot that on the class list only 28 students were accounted for and not the 29 that are in the class. One sweet girl was not on the list, so of course, I forgot to write a note for her, and I was so ready to be done with writing by 1 am that I didn't think to make sure all were accounted for. So, disaster struck when all the students got a note, except for sweet Waiora. Lathan was kind enough to tap me on the knee and say, "Miss, what about Waiora?" Looking at her tear-stained face, I realized to my utter horror that I forgot to write her a note because her name was the one missing on the list!! I almost started to cry, but I got up, wrote her a quick note, and apologized and gave her a hug to let her know that I really do love her. Being such a sweet girl, she forgave me quickly and smiled at me right before all the students left. I'm actually really glad for the experience because it taught me two things. One, always make sure that all students are accounted for!! Two, Jesus loves the little children because they are meek, forgiving, humble, and submissive. I can learn a lot from Waiora and her willingness to forgive me so quickly, because I hurt her feelings really bad. Lessons can be learned everyday.

I have been so blessed to be part of Pomaria faculty, and while I've had some shaky days and some meltdowns, the staff and students are so forgiving and loving. I doubt myself too much, and that can sometimes affect how I perceive others. People are basically good like my dad says, and I shouldn't assume that others hate me, just because I don't like myself. Now, I really do like myself, but there was a few days this week when I didn't like what I was doing in the classroom or how I was treating the students. Jan was right-I need to check my emotions and separate them from the classroom and get to work to serve the students.

Jan said that my experience will have been a success if I have learnt things. She told me I have grown in confidence and management tremendously since I started 6 short weeks ago, but I want to believe it for myself. So, here are the things I have learnt while in Room 9:
1. I learned that teaching is not about me, it's about the students and the best I can do is to think of their needs.
2. Mistakes and bad days happen and there is nothing I can do about them when they come, but I can do something about how I react (I learned this the hard way and I still don't react the way I should, but I'm learning for future experiences).
3. I learned how to set up a classroom in the beginning of the year and how to teach routines
4. I learned that re-teaching is good and necessary in primary school.
5. Running records can be done while students are doing independent work.
6. Take one step at a time!
7. Not everything has to be done by me-what can be done by the students should be done by the students!
8. Take risks and learn from them!
9. There is no room for comparison-I have talents that others don't have or are developing, just as they have talents I am developing too.
10. Forgive myself and move on.
11. JJ and Jan taught me this one-look at the blossoms and beauties of my teaching and not just the thorns.

I've learned a lot and there are more, and I am grateful for the time I have spent working with the Pomaria staff and being supported. So many gave me their emails and want to keep in contact with me. One girl who teaches Mandarin was so kind and told me that I am really sweet and will make a great teacher. It made me feel so great! Also, being told by my students and other teachers that I am really pretty doesn't make me feel to bad either. Seriously though, I am grateful for Jan and Room 9 and the lessons they've taught me and her encouragement for me to be a more effective professional.

Enjoy the pictures of my last day in a practicum experience; next time I'm in the classroom I'll be a real teacher!

Love,
Miss Mills