Just two months into the AUSL Teacher Residency, resident teacher Maria Pullido stepped into the classroom for her first Lead Teach experience — a milestone that asks resident teachers to plan, deliver, and manage a full day of instruction on their own. For Maria, it was a moment she had been quietly building toward since the first day she met her students.
“I felt in charge for the first time,” she shared. “In the end, instead of feeling nervous, I felt really confident.”
That confidence came from preparation, trust, and the relationships she had been building with each student since September.
What a Lead Teach Is and Why It Matters
Part of the AUSL teacher residency model, the First Lead Teach is designed to give resident teachers early, authentic experience leading instruction. Resident teachers plan lessons, manage transitions, respond to student needs, and navigate the unexpected — all while their mentor observes from outside the room.
For Maria, the purpose was clear: it was her first chance to put everything she’d learned into action. “It’s the real deal,” she said. “Lead Teach lets you practice before the actual career starts.”
Inside Maria’s First Lead Teach
Maria prepared for the day with intention — placing post-its in her read-aloud book with questions she wanted to ask, rehearsing transitions, and planning differentiated lessons across reading, math, science, and social studies. Teaching diverse learners requires careful personalization, and Maria embraced that fully: “I had to prepare four different lessons for reading and multiple lessons for math. It all depended on where each student was.”
The night before, Maria felt nervous. But the moment she saw her students that morning, everything shifted. “They get so excited to see me,” she said. “I trust them, and they trust me” and her nerves quickly faded!
Throughout the day, she watched small wins take shape — the kind she celebrates most as a special education teacher. A student decoded a word independently. Another answered a comprehension question correctly. A third engaged in a conversation he couldn’t have held two months ago. Each moment reinforced that her preparation was working.
“There was a point where I thought, okay — they are really learning. This is working.”
The Moments You Can’t Plan For
Not everything went smoothly. One student experienced a behavioral crisis during a lesson, forcing Maria to change her plan and address the student’s needs.
Later, her mentor affirmed how well she handled the situation — a moment Maria says made her feel like a real teacher. The experience highlighted how much of teaching happens beyond the lesson plan.
“Unexpected things happen,” she said. “But that’s part of the job.”
What Maria Learned and Where She Hopes to Grow
Above all, Lead Teach experiences are an opportunity to learn and grow after practicing.
After reflecting with her mentor and Associate Director, Maria identified both her strengths and areas of growth. Building relationships is one of her greatest gifts — her Tripod survey results showed students feel deeply cared for by her — and she plans to continue making her classroom a place where “the more care they feel, the better they respond.”
She also came away with clarity on what skills she thinks she can develop next.
“Math has always been hard for me,” she said. “But now it’s a challenge I’m liking. I’m learning new ways to teach it, and I want to keep improving.”
She also hopes to make her lessons more dynamic and engaging: “I want to create fun lesson plans that help them remember what they’re learning.”
Why Early Milestones Matter
This Lead Teach experience affirmed something important for Maria — that she is exactly where she wants to be. “It gives you the real experience and helps you decide if this is truly what you want to keep doing,” she said. “There’s such a difference between theory and practice.”
She knows the impact teachers can have, especially for diverse learners. “What we do either helps a student or sends them down the wrong path,” she said. “We’re the adults they see most during the day. That matters.”
Advice for Future Resident Teachers
Maria’s message to future resident teachers on their own first Lead Teach experiences is full of warmth and honesty:
“It’s the most realistic experience you’ll have as a teacher, and it’s going to motivate you. When students find out you’re teaching them and they get excited — that’s when you realize, ‘This is why I’m here.’”
Looking Back — And Forward
When Maria imagines herself on graduation day, looking back at this moment, she feels proud and grateful: “It was hard — balancing life, studying, being a mom — but it was also the moment I realized I’m fulfilling the dream I’ve had since I was a kid.”
Her first Lead Teach wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t predictable. But it was transformative. And it confirmed what everyone who meets her quickly sees: Maria is already the kind of teacher who changes lives!
You can learn more about the AUSL Teacher Residency and how you can be fully prepared to teach in your own classroom on day one here!
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