Megan Fantuzzi is an Elementary Education and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major at the College of New Jersey, approaching her second semester as a senior. She finished her second clinical during the global pandemic, so we asked her some questions about her experience in a virtual classroom!
What was it like to student teach during the pandemic?
Similar to my peers, I never pictured myself completing my student teaching in a hybrid/virtual setting. I was so nervous at first because I was not sure if I was going to be able to be an effective teacher virtually and be able to form connections with all of the kids as well. I was pleasantly surprised to be a part of an amazing fourth grade class who were just excited to learn. I felt that even though I never was able to meet most of my students in person, I felt that I really was able to still form great relationships with them through our Google Meets. Although there were days filled with technology issues and frustration, we always worked through it together. Considering the crises we have been facing during this pandemic, I could not help but feel extremely grateful for the experience I had. I was given an amazing cooperating teacher and school that gave me great support throughout my whole experience.
What was the most important thing you learned last semester?
My biggest takeaway from the past semester was that not everything has to be perfect. Similar to many TCNJ students, I tend to overplan and overthink but after teaching during a very unpredictable year, I learned that it is important to be able to go with the flow. I always found that no matter how detailed my lesson plans were and how much preparation I put into an activity or assignment, nothing ever went exactly as planned. In the beginning that would frustrate me, but as I noticed that even when things did not go accordingly, that did not mean it was a failure; it normally would go even better than expected.
Any advice for upcoming students who will begin student teaching?
Although this is not an ideal setting, do your best to treat it like it is. Even if you are teaching at home, I believe it is important to still be in a routine of getting ready for the day and setting up a space to teach from home. During the days my school was fully remote, I felt that it was easy to feel unmotivated when I was not teaching in the classroom. When I stuck to my normal routine in the morning, it helped me feel like I was ready to teach.
What are your plans this semester?
This semester I will be completing my WGS capstone and finishing up some requirements as I get ready to graduate this spring. I plan to spend a lot of time with my friends as we do our best to enjoy our last semester together!
How do you feel about graduating?
There are parts of me that feel excited to graduate and begin my career as a teacher, but also bittersweet about leaving my college experience behind. I am going to miss living with my friends and having a home away from home. Although my last semester at TCNJ is not how I imagined it, the memories I have leading up to graduation have definitely made my college experience worth it.
What will you miss most about TCNJ?
I think I’ll miss the feeling of community the most about TCNJ. I always have felt that our school is big enough to always be meeting new people but also small enough to always see familiar faces in classes or just around campus.
What are your plans for after you graduate?
As of right now, I am beginning to look to apply for teaching positions in districts in North Jersey. I do not have a solid plan yet but hope to begin my career as a teacher and spend some time with family until I move out, after a year or two. But plans always change so we will just have to wait and see. :)