After a few months of planning, I finally had a few hours at the elementary school. If you look back to my "Expectations" blog post, my predictions on how it would go were pretty accurate. I was expecting that the classroom would be messy and overwhelming at times. Overall, it wasn't too overwhelming because the teacher I was shadowing was amazing at her job. She was able to keep her students calm and happy. I learned that you have to be very organized; not even minimally organized - I am talking extremely organized and beyond. Lesson plans were done weeks in advanced, photocopies made the night before, letting the kids know what you'll be doing ahead of time so they do not worry about future activities. It is hard work being a teacher! However, I learned so much through this one time experience, I challenged myself to learn an incredible amount. I learned smile and be happy towards the kids, even when your tired and feel a little overwhelmed by a new experience (in this case being in the classroom). I was so happy to help the kids with their English work and their worksheets. Through this I learned to have the mind of a fourth grader. It can be difficult putting yourself in somebody else's mindset, but overtime I learned to understand and view topics the way they did. This experience was a memory that I can hold onto forever. As well, it will be a time that I will always take with me throughout my education and journey to becoming an elementary school teacher.