Last Day at ISL :(

            Today was my last day at ISL, and I cannot believe how fast this semester has gone! It feels like just yesterday that I was waiting outside the school gates trying figure out how to get into the school, let alone find the main office.  Today in second grade, the students applied their knowledge of persuasive writing to their unit about fair trade.  They created advertisements for fair trade chocolate, and really enjoyed the activity.  I thought this was a very creative way for my cooperating teacher to assess their knowledge of fair trade, as well as their mastery of the elements of persuasive writing.  One thing that I noticed that my CT does is use a timer a lot.  I used to disagree with the timer because I thought it would make students anxious, but she uses it as an effective way to time lessons.  For example, she only gave her students 5 minutes to plan their advertisement before starting their final copy.  This paced the students and ensured that all of them had finished their advertisements before they had to leave for gym class.

            I had a great final conversation with my cooperating teacher, and realized how much I have learned in my short time at ISL this semester.  She told me a lot about different international teaching opportunities, and that there are American schools all over the world.  She has taught in Australia, China, and London, and really showed me the potential flexibility of a teaching career.  I never thought about teaching as something that you could do anywhere, but with the increasing prevalence of international schools our options as teachers are endless if we want them to be!  I always thought that I had to decide whether I wanted to teach in Massachusetts or New Jersey, Boston or New York City.  Going abroad and completing this practicum has opened my eyes to the incredible opportunities that we all have at our fingertips, and all of the amazing things that we can all do as teachers.  Completing my practicum at the International School of London has been an irreplaceable experience, and I feel so lucky to have had this amazing opportunity!