Non-fiction Essay: Five Days of New Experience

This was my third time being in a school as a teacher trainee, my stomach still twists and turns due to my nervousness. The first day of my third School Based Experience (SBE) was the first day of work for the new headmaster of the school. He was a busy man, I waited for about three hours before I could meet him to discuss my plans for the week. Other teachers have started asking around when they see me sitting in the waiting room for quite a while. I was grateful that he was very cooperative and helpful. Then, I was notified to make the big table in the meeting room as my working space. There was only me in that room. Though I did receive visitors sometimes, there was no communication between us. That was the loneliest week I have ever experienced throughout my twenty years of living.
The next day, I could not bear sitting in the room alone. So, I decided to take a stroll in the school ground and took some pictures for my SBE portfolio. Students were staring intensely at me like I am an alien, it made me feel timid. I found it comical how a young adult like myself feared tiny children. Taking a stroll was not an option so I quickly went back into the meeting room. People said time is gold, thus I waste no time chilling around. The entire school time was spent updating my portfolio. I forgot to mention, it was my birthday that day. So, I did not entirely spend it doing my work as some of the time was used to check on my smartphone to see if I have received any birthday wishes. I received many mostly from my beloved family, friends, and mentor. It was a pleasant day, I was extremely elated and grateful.
The third was also spent on finding information about the school. On the fourth day, I started doing something else. it was a bit late, but I finally started socialising with the teachers. My friends said that I have an extroverted personality when I am totally the opposite. Some are my former teachers, and some are new teachers. In truth, the school is my former primary school. I have learnt a lot from them, from knowing teaching skills, students’ characters to classroom management. Everything I needed to prepare myself before entering a class later that day. The class was nerve-wracking, I even made a terrible blunder when I said, ‘Good morning, teacher.’ to the students. It left me feeling agitated, yet I tried to be optimistic. I told the other teachers about it and they laughed to their heart content.
The day I have been waiting arrived sooner than expected. I finished up my work and checked if there was any information that I have not attained. After reviewing, I went to find the headmaster to fill out some SBE documents. The meeting was extended when the headmaster started asking questions about my observation and experience of the school. After a long discussion, the headmaster suddenly asked ‘How old are you? Thirty?’ with a serious expression. I was dumbfounded to know that I look so much older than my original age, so I politely told him I was only in my early twenty. It was truly an unforgettable event. All in all, I enjoyed my time there.