• Why is it so hard to leave students behind?
  • What have I learned from trying experiences?
  • How has this changed my perception of teaching?
  • Who did I see myself as before this experience?
  • Where do I see myself going?

Above are the questions that I am sitting here thinking about. They are all things that will probably go unanswered for quite some time. Mostly because I don’t know if I really had a proper understanding of myself prior to this experience.

Education feels as if it is always changing you, and when you continue changing without time to reflect, you exist in this haze-like state. To begin looking at these questions, I first consider what the overall experience was like for me. In two words, my experience was empowering and reaffirming. I have thought about being a teacher for some time, and being at Harwin allowed me to feel like I was truly in the right place. I think it is hard to leave people that you relate to, and you feel seen by. The students at Harwin were welcoming, and willing to accept vulnerability. I felt like I was able to make mistakes and be appreciated for my effort to correct the. This is probably one of the many reasons it was so hard to say goodbye. I learned that my age and experience do not mean that I am all-knowing. I also learned that anyone that tells me otherwise has not honestly reflected on the world around them.

Considering this experience, I feel that teaching has a lot more to do with connections to students and the community than curricular content. There are many many steps that need to be taken before we get to the more widely understood concept of teaching. Prior to Harwin, I imagined that I was going to learn all these skills to help inspire and excel students in their academic futures. I felt like I was the reason students were going to get a better education. In reality, I am just another vehicle for students to use when exploring education. I offer something that is not individually mine, and students can be just as or more successful with or without me.

I see myself continuing to learn about how I fit into education, and attempting to find the strength to be humbled by the students I encounter.