At the start of the school year, Maria Pulido entered her classroom ready to teach. Now, as she prepares to graduate from her residency, she reflects on the lessons that shaped her along the way.
Like many first-year educators, she focused on lesson plans, classroom management, and making sure she was meeting expectations. She had a clear vision of what success would look like and how her students would get there.
But over the course of the year, that perspective began to shift.
“More than being my students, they were my teachers.”
When reflecting on the year, one moment continues to stand out.
Around the holidays, one of Maria’s students approached her with a question:
“I know that you’re not going to be in school next year. Can you take me to the school you’re going to be at?”
Maria remembers sitting at the table and tears of joy coming out of her eyes.
It was a simple question, but it captured something much bigger. The connection she had built in her classroom went far beyond instruction. It reflected trust, care, and the kind of impact that stays with students long after the school year ends.
Here are four lessons that Maria Pulido learned from her students this year:
1. Success looks different than expected
At the beginning of the year, Maria viewed success through a traditional lens. Success to Maria meant students meeting grade-level expectations and lessons going as planned.
But working closely with her students, many of whom are diverse learners, reshaped that definition.
“My students break those standards,” she explained.
Instead of focusing solely on benchmarks, Maria began to recognize growth in more individualized ways. A student reading simple words for the first time. Another sustaining a conversation. Others are learning how to engage in a group setting.
“Success for us is not achieving academic excellence based on standards, but based on their own capability.”
2. Small wins are everything
In Maria’s classroom, a special education classroom, progress is often quiet.
Moments that might seem small to others carry deep meaning. A student sharing with a peer. Staying engaged just a little longer. Trying again after frustration.
“Those things that could be small for society, for me were a big achievement,” she said.
Over time, those moments build confidence, independence, and a foundation for continued growth.
3. Patience starts with the teacher
One of the most unexpected lessons Maria carried from this year was not just about her students, but about herself.
“I realized it’s not just having patience with them, it’s having patience with myself,” she reflected.
Like many new teachers, Maria experienced moments of doubt. She questioned whether she was making progress or moving fast enough.
But her students showed her otherwise.
“While I thought I was not making progress, they showed me that I was.”
Through their growth, she was able to recognize her own.
4. Relationships come before instruction
Throughout the year, Maria saw how critical relationships are in the classroom.
There were moments when students expressed frustration or said they could not complete a task. Not out of resistance, but because they needed a different approach.
Building trust allowed Maria to better understand how each student learns and how to support them effectively.
That connection became the foundation for everything else.
Maria also reflected on the misconceptions that often surround students with disabilities.
“I think people have the misconception that it’s more about behavior rather than the disability itself,” she shared.
Through her experience, she saw how much environment, support, and understanding can shape student success.
“These children are able to do great things,” she said.
As Maria prepares to step into her first year as a full-time teacher, she carries these lessons with her.
Her students have reshaped how she defines success, how she approaches growth, and how she sees her role as an educator. They have also reinforced why this work matters.
Because in the end, Maria’s first year in the classroom was not just about what she taught. It was about what she learned and the students who taught her along the way.
She also credits AUSL with helping shape that growth. Through ongoing coaching, professional development, and a strong community of support, Maria gained both the tools and perspective needed to grow with confidence in the classroom.
“AUSL helped shift my mindset from focusing on what I was missing to recognizing everything I had already achieved,” she reflected.
That shift made a lasting impact. It allowed her to see not only her students’ progress more clearly, but her own as well.
Officially an AUSL Teacher Residency graduate, Maria carries with her both the lessons from her students and the foundation AUSL provided and she is ready to lead her own classroom and shape the learning experiences that will stay with her students long after they leave it.
Inspired by Maria’s journey? Learn more about the AUSL Teacher Residency and how you can begin your path to the classroom.
The Academy for Urban School Leadership is a school management organization in working in partnership with Chicago Public Schools
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