Paige Tolkacz: Her Practicum Experience

Paige is a graduating senior from NAU and has completed her practicum and student teaching. This is her experience, tips and guidance she would give to an incoming first year practicum student.

"Overall, I had a great experience in practicum. In my first semester, I was at Kinsey Elementary School. I was in first grade. It was pretty overwhelming at first and I was very nervous since it was my first time in a classroom under practicum and I did not know what to expect. Once I got involved and started working with the students it was so fun and natural. In my last two practicums, I was at Sechrist Elementary School in K and 2nd Grade. I actually ended up student teaching with the teacher I had for second grade and it has been such a great experience. I knew how to classroom already so that helped when I moved into student teaching. They are both great schools and I highly recommend them. I am also getting my certificate in Early Childhood Education so I had preschool practicums too. Those were definitely different but a good experience. For the last semester of my Early Childhood practicum, it was considered student teaching so I had to complete 135 hours. I had a pretty empty semester filled with online classes so I went in twice a week for whole days. It is exhausting but I got my hours done super early and it was cool to see how whole days ran for preschool. I had a great practicum experience and I suggest trying to go in more than just the days you are required to get more experience and you get to see more of the school days if you go in more.

Some tips that I have for practicum is to be open with your mentors. By being open, you can let them know what you need more experience in and they are usually very willing to help you. Along with this is having good communication skills. No one will know how to help you or give you what you need unless you are talking to them. I have created some great connections at the elementary schools and with my NAU teachers by just being real with them and communicating. If a teacher wants you to do something, do it! Even if it is out of your comfort zone, do it. The only way to become a great teacher is to do those things that make you uncomfortable. For example, in my second grade practicum, the second week my teacher had me running her math small groups. I was so nervous to do it but I ended up loving it and learning so much. DO WHAT SCARES YOU! It is okay if you fail, it is how you learn. You can do more than what you think you can do. Also, try different grades. Don't just stick to one. I was never above second grade and I regret it. It would be cool to see how they ran even though I really love my littles. Try new things, you will never know what you like. Overall, just be experimental and communicate.

My favorite thing about practicum was the connection I made with my cohort and meeting the students. Even if you are there once a week for three hours, you make such a great connection with those students and it is so sad when you have to leave them. If you are lucky, you may still see them during other practicums. It is also amazing to see how those students grow in the amount of time you are there. My other favorite thing about practicum was the connections I made in my cohort. You'll have classes with these people up until you start student teaching. I have made such good friends from my cohort and we still bounce ideas off one another even in student teaching. They are pretty much the only people who understand what you are going through because they are going through it too.

One piece of advice I can give you before your first day of practicum is just be yourself. This is what you are going to school for because you love it. Make connections with your class and teacher and do what you are learning to do. It will be some of the best experiences of your life."

- Paige