Professional Documents
Culture Documents
StudentTeachingExperienceReflection
IfeelextremelyfortunatethatIwasabletocompletemystudentteachingexperiencein
thesamesettingasmyinternship.Theopportunitytospendthe20162017schoolyearat
Olanderallowedmetodeveloplonglastingrelationshipswithmystudents,thestaff,my
cooperatingteacherandfamilies.Myfamiliaritywithmyclassroomhelpedmetojumpinwith
twofeetbeginninginJanuarysinceIalreadyhadexperiencedtheclassroomroutinesandknew
mycooperatingteachersmanagementstylewell.Olanderwasanincrediblypositiveand
supportiveenvironmentinwhichtohaveastudentteachingexperience.Staffmemberwere
immediatelywelcomingtomeandwereeagertoanswermyquestionsandsupportmygrowth.
Teachingalongsidemymentorteacherwasaprivilege.Iamverygratefultohavelearnedunder
anexceptionaleducatorwhoisanexpertincontent,wellversedinstandardsandtreatsevery
childinaloving,respectfulmannereverysingleday.Shewasafabulousrolemodelformein
goingaboveandbeyondtoservestudents,familiesandothermembersofourteamwitha
positiveattitude.Herorganizationalcapacities,flexibilityandmasteryofsettinghigh
expectationswillinformmypracticefortheyearstocome.
ClassroomManagement
ClassroommanagementhasbeenoneofthethingsIhavebeenmostapprehensiveabout
duringtheprogram.Iwasconcernedthatmygentlevoiceandsoftnaturewouldtranslateinto
becomingalowexpectationteacherwhohadlittlecontroloverherroom.IknewthatIwantedto
reinforcepositivebehaviorasmuchaspossibleandemployaLove&Logicapproachwhen
settingexpectationsandcommunicatingwithstudentsaboutbehavior.Thankfully,mymentor
teachersmanagementstylewasverysimilarandsoIwasabletoadoptmanyofherpractices
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thatfeltreallynaturaltomealso.Itwasdifficultatfirsttotransitionfromthefriendlyinternto
anauthorityroleintheclassroom.GraduallystudentscametoseemeasarealteacherasI
continuedtoplayalargerroleintheirdaytodaylearning.
Ashiftbegantooccurwithinme.AtfirstIwantedtoremainwelllikedbymystudents
howeverIbegantolearnthattheverybestwayIcouldlovethemwastosetandenforce
consistentboundariesthatkeptthemsafeandhappy.ThismeantthatthereweretimeswhenI
wouldhavetocorrectundesiredbehavior.Ifollowedmymentorteachersleadandaddressed
behaviorsituationsinafair,quickwaythatdidnotembarrassstudentsorcharacterizethemas
badbutinsteadcommunicatedthatthebehaviorwasseparatefromthemselves.Forexample,I
mightsayMakingnoisesdistractsourfriends.Pleasehelpthestudentsaroundyoulistenand
learn.AsIcamemorecomfortabletacklingbehaviorsinthemomentIbegantofocusonwhatI
coulddoproactivelytopreventthem.Wepracticedwhatitlookedliketobeagreatlistener.
Wetalkedabouthowwecouldhelpourselvesandotherstobelearners.
Mynextstepwastohelpstudentswhowerestrugglingwerepersistentchallenging
behaviorstosetgoalsandlearnstrategiestoavoidthem.Afewstudentsusedabehaviorchart
daily.Iwouldprocesswiththemthroughouttheday.Ifoundthatthiswasreallymotivatingfor
studentsandhelpedreinforcethestrategiestheywereworkingon.Italsoincreased
communicationbetweenparents;ourcounselorandtheclassroomteacherinordertobetter
supportthestudentsandaligneffortsathomeandatschool.
Ifeelbetterequippedtoeffectivelymanageaclassroomandcreateasafe,warm
environmentforstudents.Ihavelearnedthatdifferentstrategiesworkwithdifferentstudentsand
thatbehaviormanagementisaneverevolvingpractice.Oneofmyproudestaccomplishmentsis
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thatIhavehelpedstudentsworkthroughinterpersonalproblemsandworkcollaborativelyas
learners.IknowthatIwillcontinuetodevelopmyclassroommanagementabilitiesfortherest
ofmycareer.Ilookforwardtoexperimentingwithnewtechniquesandlearningmoreabouthow
tosupportstudentsemotionalandsocialdevelopment.
TeachingPhilosophy
Icontinuetobelievethattheroleoftheearlychildeducatoristonurturethedevelopment
ofthewholechild.InadditiontosupportingstudentsintellectualdevelopmentIthinkitis
imperativethatteachershelpchildrennavigatepositiverelationshipswithpeers,teachersand
schoolcommunities.Ihaveworkedhardduringmystudentteachingexperiencetohelpstudents
learnandpracticeproscoialskills.Ihaveadeeperappreciationforthesafehavenschoolisfor
manychildrenandIfeelmorecommittedthanevertoprovidingallstudentswithaquality
educationandwelcomingspacetobethemselves.Ihavebeenfortunatetolearnlotsof
differentiationandsupportstrategiesduringmytimeatOlander.Iamalsogratefultohave
workedcloselywithcolleaguesandfamiliestosupportthechildreninmyclassroom.
Duringmybrieftimeasastudentteacherithasbecomeclearthatteachingismorethana
job.Itisacalltogobeyondthehoursinthedaytoserveyoungchildren.Iknownowthatin
ordertobringasenseofcalm,wonderandenthusiasmintotheclassroomeachdayIneedtotake
careofmyownneedssoIcantakecareofmystudentsneeds.
PlanningandImplementingLessons
AsthesemesterhasprogressedIhavegrowninmyabilitytoplansuccessfullessonsand
implementthem.Afewmajorareasofgrowthhavebeenmycapacitytoplanlessonsthat
integrateassessments,carryoutlessonsinatimelywayandalterlessonsinrealtimewhen
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needed.InitiallyIwasanxiousaboutincorporatingassessmentsthatweredevelopmentally
appropriateintomylessons.ThiswassomethingthatIimmediatelydiscussedwithmymentor
teacher.Shegavemesomegreatideasabouthowtousetheclosureofalessontobothassess
andreinforcestudentlearning.OftentimesIwilluseanexitticketattheendofalessonforthis
purpose.Ialsomakesuretosetagoalforstudentsatthebeginningofthelessonsotheyknow
whattheyarelearningandwhatisexpectedofthemattheendofthelesson.Iamsignificantly
betteratmanagingtimeandkeepingusonschedule.AdditionallyIfeelmorecomfortablein
changingcoursemidlessonifthingsarenotworking.Sincemyformativeassessmentskillshave
improvedIhaveabetterideaofwhenstudentsarenotunderstandingandwhatIneedtodoto
coursecorrect.
Planningseveralunits,includingascienceunitonstatesofmatter,asocialstudiesunit
onmapsandanotheronthepilgrimsandWampanoagtribehashelpedmetodesignlessonsthat
areconnectedandthatsetlongtermandshorttermlearningobjectives.Iappreciatedhow
planningunitsallowedmetothinkaboutwhatIwantedtostudentstoknow,whyandhowI
wouldmeasurestudentlearning.IbecamemorecomfortablewiththisprocessthemoretimesI
attemptedit.NowIfeelconfidentplanningwiththeendinmind,aligninglessonswithstandards
andusingdifferentinstructionalstrategies.
PersonalReflection
Thestudentteachingexperiencehasbeenoneofthemostrewardingandchallenging
experiencesofmylife.Ihavegainedterrificexperience,relationshipsandastrongersenseof
selfconfidence.IfeelthatIhavegonefrombeingalearner,whowascomfortableinthe
classroom,toaleader,whoisabletomakegooddecisionsandreflectonmypractice.Iam
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excitedabouthavingmyownclassroomandestablishingmyclassculture.AyearagoIcould
nothaveimaginedtheintensegrowthanddifficultiesthisprogramwouldpresent.Ithasnot
alwaysbeeneasyandIhavehadtorecommittomyintentionsandmypurposemanytimes.Iam
proudoftherisksIhavetakenandthededicationIhavedemonstrated.Iamhonoredtohavehad
theopportunitytolearnfromseveralwonderfuleducatorsandpeersalongtheway.Imove
forwardtetheredbymyprofoundcommitmenttoservethechildreninmyclassroomandinthe
greatercommunity.