A blog post by MEd in Curriculum and Instruction Student Ambassador Crystal Ryan 

Starting the semester has been such a whirlwind. I had graduated from my undergrad in 2019, then the year of COVID-19 hit, and I was left to solitary for quite a while. Jumping back into school this year was so thrilling, and it was even better when I received my placement for my practicum experience! It was a long-anticipated decision, but I was extremely ecstatic when I found out I had been placed with San Diego Cooperative Charter School. Things only kept looking up from there when I was placed in a third-grade classroom!

            Although my practicum requirements only asked that I be at the school for 30 hours over the semester, I was too excited to not be there often. I went in a few days a week, if it worked well with my schedule, just to observe and speak with the students and staff. Studying how to teach and seeing in-person how to teach is such a huge difference. I began to understand more the time, effort, and heart that went into the profession. I saw the preparation behind a lesson, the short breaks and the students who stayed behind to talk to their teachers, and even the difficulties of classroom management. It was extremely surreal to imagine myself one day standing at the front of the classroom being the CEO of it all, making these daily lesson decisions, and having endless conversations with students. The journey is truly just beginning!