Road to Graduation: Maria Reflects on the New Year & Her Final Semester

As the new year begins, AUSL resident teacher Maria Pullido is stepping into her final semester of the AUSL Teacher Residency, ready to continue growing and excited for graduation and her future classroom!

As she crosses the halfway point, we caught up with Maria to ask her to reflect on how far she’s come and what she’s most excited for as she completes her residency training year:

What feels like your biggest area of growth so far?

Maria: “Classroom management and really building relationships.”

At the start of the year, Maria admits she sometimes felt intimidated standing in front of her classroom. “At first I was like, am I doing it right?” she said. But as the semester went on, something shifted.

“Now I have the confidence to stop a lesson until they’re ready,” she shared. “The relationships I’ve built with my students are what make my classroom management strong.”

That growth shows up in small but meaningful moments—like knowing exactly how to support a student who needs help regulating their focus. “I know how my students are feeling,” Maria said. “Sometimes it’s as simple as giving them what they need in that moment.”

What helped you develop those relationships?

Maria: “It’s the combination of my mentor’s support and professional development days.”

Maria credits the residency’s alignment between coursework and classroom practice and her mentor, Ms. Ortiz, who pushed her to think deeply. “She didn’t just show me everything step-by-step,” Maria said. “She allowed me to figure it out and practice first, and then gave me feedback.”

That balance of practice and feedback has made a difference. “I learned that I wasn’t on my own,” she shared, “and I was trusted to grow.”

What surprised you most about yourself this semester?

Maria: “How patient and adaptable I’ve become.”

Working with students with significant learning and behavioral needs pushed Maria in new ways. “There were moments I thought, I’m not going to be able to do this,” she admitted.

But when unexpected challenges arose, she found herself adjusting instinctively. “I learned how to change my lesson in the moment and focus on helping the student,” she said. “That surprised me… how much I could adapt.”

What’s a moment that captures what you’re most proud of?

Maria: “A student trusted me with something really personal.”

One day, a second-grade student asked Maria if she could listen to something he was going through. “He told me something he was scared of,” she said. “The fact that he trusted me enough to share that meant everything to me.”

For Maria, that moment confirmed the impact of relationship-centered teaching. “That really helped me realize how much trust and relationships matter,” she shared.

As you enter the new year, what are you focused on next?

Maria: “Learning everything I can!”

Maria’s New Year’s resolution is simple but powerful: “There’s still a lot I need to learn and I’m here for it.”

She’s already writing IEPs, refining her practice, and continuing to grow as a special education teacher. “I helped write three IEPs this week,” she said. “All of them had minimal corrections. That made me really proud.”

Looking ahead to the end of the residency, how do you feel?

Maria: “I’m confident this experience is preparing me for what’s next.”

Teaching full days and leading instruction across subjects has made the transition to her own classroom feel real. “This is going to be me next year,” she said. “I won’t be surprised because I’ve already lived it.”

And she knows the growth won’t stop. “A teacher never stops learning,” Maria reflected. “Students change. Teachers need change. I need change. We all have to be open to learning and changing.”

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!