Hi everyone! How have you all been doing? I have been reading many of your stories around here, and, I must say-I so very much enjoyed each and every one of them. They made me smile, think, and feel inspired.

I apologize if I have been missing in action for quite some time. Things were getting really busy for me. I had my hands full with so many things to do and responsibilities to fulfill. But I am back! I missed being with this community and sharing my experiences, so here I am again, ready to rekindle the same connection.

To all the teachers and would-be teachers who are reading this: If you are free, feel free to drop a line in the comments! I think we will all relate to each other a lot. 😉

We always say that for education students, one of the most important components of the academic journey is the student internship. This is when they send us out there to real schools to finally practice what we learned in the classroom.

For our batch, we were to have 360 hours of internship duty-working hours that for me turned out to be some of the most significant periods of my life as a student and teacher wannabe.

The Beginning: Deployment at Medellin National High School

My internship commenced on February 24, 2025. Medellin National High School was the site I was assigned to, where 21 students were assigned to that school. Our first meeting with the school principal and guidance counselor was on the first day of school. A short orientation was given to welcome us.

Privileges were bestowed on us as we were given the liberty to choose what subjects we want to handle aside from our major. My major is English, but I also chose to teach Mathematics. Mathematics has always been my favorite subject, and I didn’t want to lose touch with it. It’s fun, challenging, and rewarding, and so I gladly took it on.

My Amazing Mentors

Now I want to talk about two of the persons most important in my internship journey, my mentors. Luck was certainly on my side as I was assigned two kinder, brighter, and more patient mentors than could have been asked for: Sir Coprada for English and Sir Lucero for Mathematics.

From day one, they treated me not just as a student, but as a future colleague. They instilled confidence in me to stand in front of the class and taught me real-life teaching practices step by step.

Sir Coprada was my English teacher. He had a calm but firm demeanor in the classroom. He taught me how to budget time in a lesson, how to use important body language and voice modulation, and how to connect literature to students' real-life experiences so that they could find meaning in the stories they read. He scrutinized my lesson plans, gave me constructive feedback, and encouraged me to be adventurous with creative teaching methods. His classroom was always vibrant, and he instilled in me that an English teacher's role is far beyond teaching grammar-it is about bringing words to life!

On the other side of things, my Math mentor, Sir Lucero, was all energy and wisdom. He showed me that Math does not have to be frightening. He taught me how to take away the complexities in lessons, how to give effective scaffolding, and how to be patient with students who may need a little extra time and support. He would spend free periods telling me about his experiences, challenges, and funny stories over the years.

My Beloved Students

I was assigned to teach three sections Math 8 plus one section English 7. Because most interns concentrated on English, it was Math that was assigned to me, which I did not mind at all; in fact, I welcomed the challenge.

Thanks to my background as a student leader and public servant, classroom management was not entirely a task for me. Speaking in public and dealing with different personalities had now become a well-ingrained habit. But each section was different, and I observed their behavior for the first week. By that observation, I learned how to approach each section differently, earn their respect, and maintain them no matter how short their attention spans were.

The most resounding part came from many of them saying they found Math difficult at first like they really don't want it most of the students but found enjoyment in it through my classes. That was everything to me: the teaching is not totally about what comes from you; it is more about what you have made them feel.🤗

Teaching brought satisfaction, but it was not easy. Behind every lesson was a mountain of paperwork, visual aids, reports, and weeks of planning. I have had nights of little to no sleep because I wanted the meaning put across each and every discussion.

But even beyond the tasks, the most difficult part was the emotional one. I think one of the things I started to realize was that you do not bring your issues into the classroom as a teacher. As in. You need to come in smiling, composed, and being the rock for your students-even when you might not be all put together yourself. That really took an emotional toll on me. There were days I began to wonder: Is this really for me? or Would I be better off outside in the public in some other employment?

Anyway, I must say thy will be done. I found it best to trust and believe. I think God knows which way is right for each one of us, and all we can do is do our best along the way.

My Realizations

At the end of this internship, my heart was full of appreciation. I learned everything-from creating lesson plans to managing a classroom. How to deal with noisy students and how to celebrate small victories in teaching. Learned a lot more importantly, though, from my teachers and my students in life lessons.

A part of my core, it will remain. It's going to be one of the formative things that happened in my life. The laughter, the challenges, the advice from my mentors, the smiles of my students-all that comes with me. Always be grateful for the opportunity to teach and learn.

And I think that wraps up my story about internship journey.It was a meaningful chapter of my life, and I am so grateful i got shate it with all of you.😍

Thanks for reading my story. To those starting their internships or in the midst of one, persevere! Days may be long, but growth would be priceless.

Take care, stay hydrated, and remember—summer is in full swing! Don’t forget to rest, recharge, and protect your energy.

Till next time, dear hivers! 🌻.