Provide an overview of your clinical experience. What went well? Any obstacles? What is your take away? How would you define the Peace College Conceptual Framework? “Those that can; TEACH!” So will you?
Please post by 12:00 pm on 4/27/08. Good luck!
Also please take some time to view video via the link provided in previous post and give some feedback to Mr. Ervin. Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I wish this semester wasn’t coming to an end because that means that I don’t get to look forward to seeing my kids every Tuesday at Partnership. I am very sad that this coming week will be the last time that I get to see those shining faces. Aside from that sadness I am very grateful for the knowledge and experience that I have gained over the past few months. This truly is a learning process when you are in a classroom setting because not only are you watching these students learn and grow, but these kids are also teaching you to learn and grow.
Going into this experience I was not worried about the kids or the teachers liking me because I feel that I am a very open and friendly person, and I have also been in a similar situation. I was “worried” about loving this experience so much that it would make me not want to go back to work. After the first week of Partnership, I was waking up every Tuesday morning so excited about going to Partnership, not work. It makes me wish that I had stuck with wanting to teach when I went to Western for college, but there were so many other choices and so I strayed from my passion and now I am “waiting” two years to get back to what I truly want. I want to be in the classroom, and I want to learn as much from these kids as they learn from me.
My first day at Partnership I was in the second grade, and I knew that this was the age group that I wanted to teach. I have always been drawn to Elementary school, because my Elementary school teachers had such an impact on my life that I wanted to do the same when I became a teacher. The kids are so smart, funny and loving. They are old enough that they still need you, but not so old that they just look past you. I felt very comfortable with the kids and the teachers as well. They were all very friendly and inviting when I walked in the door. As I went through the grades I paid attention to the kids, the teachers and the curriculum to see if this is where I wanted to be. As I went into the older grades I realized what people meant when they said that the teachers felt like they were “teaching a test”. After going through fifth grade I went back down to kindergarten and first grade and I started to feel that the younger grades are truly where I am meant to be as a teacher.
Throughout my weeks at Partnership everything went smoothly. The teachers were wonderful and inviting, and any questions that I asked they were more than willing to answer. I had a few incidents where the teachers were not as inviting when I first walked in, but as the time passed they opened up to me and became a little more talkative and friendly.
The only obstacle that I truly ran into was trying to bond, or help out with the older students. I felt that these kids were passed “needing someone” and trying to be as independent as possible. The attitudes were also a little difficult to handle when you technically don’t have the “authority” to do anything. Another difficult part about the clinical experience was your limits. As a Peace Student we are there to observe but not teach, so finding out that line in between those as to what you can do was interesting because it varied with each teacher. Some teachers would let me give “signatures” when I saw the kids behaving, and pass out papers, help with worksheets, etc. but others would just stick me with one student and make me help them the entire time.
After only a few months at Partnership, there are many things that I am leaving with. New friends, new contacts for networking, lots of little pieces of knowledge and ideas for my “teacher box”, a new found interest in a school like Partnership, and most importantly, an idea of the kind of teacher that I want to be at the end of this program and many years to come.
I have barely skimmed the water of this program and I already have a great understanding and respect for our Conceptual Framework at Peace. It is the best tool that I will ever have in my little “teacher’s box” because it embodies what a great teacher should be. A learner, leader facilitator and a collaborator, but they must also be able to build relationships and have a sense of rigor and relevance in their life of teaching. I have used pieces of the Conceptual Framework at Partnership, and I say pieces because I could not fall into some of those categories of our framework during this clinical experience without stepping over boundaries of what I was there to do. I have built many relationships with the teachers and students at Partnership, along with being a strong learner and in some aspects a facilitator to those children who I was helping during the time that I was there. Our Conceptual Framework needs to the basis of every teaching program so that each teacher will come out as strong as we will, and I think that it would be a huge benefit to our students.
“Those who can; TEACH!” I hope that I can teach my students as well as my teachers have taught me, and I hope that my students can teach me as many new things as I teach them over time. I am very grateful for this experience and it has shown me that this is what I am meant to do in life.
This semester, I have learned so much about myself and kids through this class. I loved going to Partnership every week to be involved in learning about the different techniques of the classroom and the different ways of the teacher. When I first came to Partnership, I was nervous. I was nervous about how I would feel in the classroom and if I would feel any pressure. Boy was I wrong! My first day was in second grade and it was a relaxed environment filled with children who were intrigued in what they were doing. The teacher kept the students in line in a firm but pleasing way. The children seemed to love her. The classroom setup was very flowing and open. The energy in the classroom was positive and pleasant. The second grade teacher is the one teacher that sticks out in my head the most. She is someone that I definitely have learned something from. From her, I learned that teaching is a time to focus on a positive attitude while teaching. She was always clear and firm in her directions but was always smiling. I believe this helps the kids see her good energy of excitement and lets the kids be excited about learning. I noticed many teachers may have a negative attitude in front of the kids and it makes them feel stressed or tense. Maybe the teacher has had a bad morning or a bad weekend, but ends up bringing that to school. I believe in leaving all your negative feelings at the door; what good does it do to bring it? Providing a relaxed learning environment is the key to having a good outcome of teaching.
I have to say my least favorite classroom to work in was the fourth grade. I believe this is because I kind of felt like I was intruding. When I walked in, the teachers all looked at me funny. After I found out the kids were at recess, I walked up to a teacher and asked if she was the fourth grade teacher. She replied with a nod and basically turned around. I did not feel welcome. Besides the teacher being not so friendly to me, the kids were great. They started out with a language lesson and then the kids switched classrooms for another lesson by the other fourth grade teacher next door. The switch was very chaotic and there were no directions. When I followed the children to the next classroom, they immediately began working on something in groups. The teacher did not say anything and seemed busy on the internet.
In all, I very much enjoyed Partnership. It was a welcoming school and was unique in many different ways. Ms. Hiltz was very nice and approachable. A great principal helps a school become great! In the future, I believe I would work at a school like Partnership. Even though the classrooms are a little small, I enjoyed the connections of the classes. My major take away is that, in life you have to choose something you love and helps make a difference. For me, teaching is the profession that makes a difference in a child’s life forever. I know I want to help make that difference!
“Those that can; TEACH!” I feel as though Peace College has already provided me with so many wonderful opportunities to make connections, to learn about myself, and most importantly, to teach. When I think about my introduction to education and the courses, I cannot help but smile. Even though I am only in the beginning stages of my journey, I feel as though I have already learned so much and just want to be in my classroom!
I think that having the clinical experience at Partnership Elementary was absolutely the best aspect of our class. For me, being able to wake up early in the morning, get dressed (in a professional manner) and drive to “work” was something I really enjoyed. And of course seeing and interacting with the kids was awesome. On my last day there, I truly felt like a teacher! Some of the children asked me to read with them, I helped a little boy with his spelling words, I graded homework and I got a chance to interactive with the teacher a bit more. Every time I went, I felt like I could bring something else back for my notes! I have also become really fond of Partnership. I will be the first to admit that I was really unsure about volunteering there because it was so out of my comfort zone. But, now that I have spent some time there and really gotten adjusted, I don’t want to leave! I also want to share that one of the times I was in the second grade classroom, I saw my teacher on the NC SCOS website and I had to chuckle! (Ms. Hervey really was right that SCOS is everywhere!)
My first day at Partnership Elementary, I was in the second grade. And from the first moment, I knew that this was the age group that I wanted to teach! Those kids are extremely bright and independent, but still value the importance of learning and can somewhat appreciate all that you do. I think with this age group, you can do so many activities and lesson plans because they will respond to your creativity and have lots of fun! In teaching, you really have to love what you do or you will burn out so quickly so as long as you can delineate the difference between fun and learning, you will make a great teacher!
Another way that this program has already helped me is for my summer. In June, I will be studying abroad in Europe with a group from N.C. State! My study abroad coordinator wants to incorporate our majors into the trip! She said that she thought instead of having a final exam, she would make us do a large presentation and part of it would be planning activities and coming up with ideas about how to bring what we learned in Europe back and apply it to our lives and our future careers. How enriching would it be to bring back potential lesson plans and "goodies" (in my case) for my future classroom! Some ideas that we (my study abroad coordinator and I) bounced around were planning a kid's tour of the Louvre or the British Museum, learning preliminary French greetings, mentioning Paddington Bear and Madeline in Literature, or using all of the wonderful facts about history to create projects for subjects like social studies! I also spoke with my aunt and she is going to help me by looking at the NC SCOS for K-12 in the content area of social studies and see what we can apply!
A final way that I think this program has helped me is by all of the “extras.” The guest speakers, the teaching club, and meeting my advisor have all played a huge part in why I love this program. All of the guest speakers have given us factual yet useful and fun information about teaching from so many aspects. And with the teaching club, I have met some extraordinary people that have helped broaden my future career goals. And finally, meeting my advisor(s) has been instrumental because she has helped me sign up for classes, informed me about the Praxis and just been there for me when I had questions. I can’t tell you have much this program has already done for me and I am only a sophomore! I look forward to the future and await the myriad of opportunities and plethora of experiences!
So when I see that quote, “those that can; TEACH!” – I think that…well I know that teaching and being with children is what I want to do with the rest of my life!
And as a side note, I loved the video that Mr. Ervin posted! It is not only relevant, but so true! I think that if we don't act now, our students are going to be so behind and unprepared for today's world.
And finally, I thought Mr. Branch did a fantastic job with his presentation! I thought the powerpoint was extremely useful and so were the handouts! I am saving everything - just in case!
With each semester comes a new set of classes, a new content area to master, and new knowledge to gain. Each semester also becomes more relevant to what I am preparing to do the rest of my life, teach. Early Experiences for Prospective Teachers is no way an exception to this rule. To become a teacher is to recognize a calling and this class has truly helped me to recognize just what my calling is. The discussions that we had in class were both inspiring and thought provoking, but it was my time that I spent at Partnership Elementary that really helped to define my dream.
My time at Partnership was not without its obstacles but it helped to reaffirm that teacher is definitely what I want to do with the rest of my life. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a teacher. My whole life, people have told me that I would be an excellent teacher and so naturally, I chose to major in Education. Once I got to college and was really able to think about my decision, I became nervous. I was presented with a puzzle that I didn’t quite have all the pieces to. Was I becoming a teacher because that was truly my passion, or was I becoming a teacher because I never considered anything else?
On my first day at Partnership, I didn’t know what to expect and I was plagued with the thoughts of my internal puzzle. I started my cycle which as it would have it, started me at Kindergarten. What is fitting about this is that I always dreamt of being a Kindergarten teacher. I made my way to the classroom, introduced myself, and sat back while the teacher called order to her students and set up their next assignment. Once the students were on track with what they were supposed to be doing, I had the option to move freely around the room and observe the students and talk with them to see if any of them would open up to discuss what they were working on. After not really having much success, I went home sorrowful. I felt as if I had spent my afternoon with 60 little clams and not a single one could even pretend to picture me as their teacher. As the weeks progressed however, I had a greater spectrum of experiences. I was able to observe and interact with classrooms of students who seemed to take as much of an interest in me as I did in them. Instead of 60 clams, I was surrounded by 60 social butterflies who were constantly asking me questions about myself and where I was from and my favorite- the work they were doing. It wasn’t that I minded making small talk with the students, but it was teaching them that I was really interested in.
The end of my journey at Partnership Elementary left me in the Special Resources room. Throughout all of the grades and classrooms that I visited, I gained pieces to my puzzle. It was when I went to the Special Resources room however, where I found the last piece to my puzzle. You know that last piece of the puzzle where you’ve worked hard and thought so many times about giving up and moving on to say, a word search? And then you finally make a breakthrough with your puzzle and you put it together and then the feeling of completion when you’ve placed the very last piece? That was exactly how I felt when I spent a few consecutive visitations in the Special Resources room. There was nothing glamorous about the room. It was tiny and cramped and slightly ill-equipped. What was impressive, was what went on in the room. Students who had learning disabilities were welcomed and coached on their problems. Perhaps I didn’t really get to see all the miracles that can become of a Special Resources Classroom in this particular classroom, but it got my mind going and made me realize something that I had never really seriously considered. I was right that I wanted to be a teacher all along, what was questionable was what kind of teacher? My time at Partnership Elementary guided me towards an epiphany that I had been longing to have. I can now confidently say that I do have a calling to be a teacher. I can also say that I strongly believe that I have a calling to be a Special Educator.
Clearly the internship at Partnership Elementary was critical in helping us gain some firsthand experience as to what it would be like in the classroom. However, the time that we spent in our own EDU 200 classroom has been very valuable as well. The lectures and discussions that have sparked from the class have been very helpful. The class and the program alike offer a very strong message through Peace College’s Conceptual Framework. What the framework symbolizes to me is a blueprint. The Conceptual Framework is a blueprint that is to be interpreted in the classroom and interpreted by the individual. In the classroom we have discussed what Peace intends for the framework to mean and have also been given an opportunity to discuss our own views and opinions in the interpretation of the framework. The Peace College Conceptual Framework is an excellent visual that describes all of the roles and positions of a teacher and how those roles and positions should be carried out.
When entering EDU 200 at the start of the semester, I truly was struggling with a dilemma. I wasn’t confident that my feelings and motives to become at teacher were actually strong enough to become a good one. My time spent both in the EDU 200 classroom as well as the various classrooms of Partnership Elementary, the Special Resources room in particular, have helped me to feel confident about my decision. Now, instead of being apprehensive about my future as an educator, I greatly look forward to it and am prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that I am prepared to be the best job that I can. “Those that can; TEACH!” means to me that those that are educated, those that are prepared, and above all, those that have a calling, are those that TEACH!
I begin by saying that this course has been the first one in which I actually feel like I am learning about what I have gone to college for in the first place. I say this after having attended 5 colleges for 12 years and have never taken an actual education related class. Although my own children have given me the experience of being in a classroom, this course has given me a teacher's perspective that I couldn't have gained without taking this class. I enjoyed the speakers immensely and have gotten a tremendous amount of information for my future use as a teacher. I feel that we have been given an opportunity to look into the teaching profession from different viewpoints such as the classroom experiences, attending meetings, lesson planning, speakers, and from Mrs. Hervey herself. I think the classroom observations are a valuable experience for students considering the teaching profession. Attending the team meeting was a great way for me to get a behind the scenes view of how teachers collaborate with administration.
I did see some negative attitudes from teachers towards students at Partnership, and although I realize this is not a reflection on the school itself, it saddens me to know that kids can be confronted with verbal abuse from the very persons who they are expected to trust. This leads me to what obstacles I foresee myself having as a teacher. I will have to learn how to work with others who may not necessarily be as professional and help guide them in a positive manner. Another obstacle I foresee is keeping up with the latest technology. I feel I lack strong computer skills and I see that I will need to keep current on technology so I can utilize it in my classrooms. After learning about The Conceptual Framework I now see the necessity in collaboration with other teachers, administration, and parents. I have also realized that teaching with rigor and having relevance are two important principles that I will keep in mind when enter into my career.
I would describe The Conceptual Framework as a structurally sound house built for educators and most any other profession for that matter. It is a house supported with strong pillars such as the roles that are defined by the framework. The roof is formed from three principles that are critical for a teacher to stand under to become successful and effective. I find that I will be able to utilize this as a guide to be sure I am balanced and whole as I continue into my career. The program that Peace offers is such an amazing opportunity for future education professionals. The way they have made sure each and every graduate will be one that is marketable and knowledgeable by creating this framework makes it a program that is cutting edge and one I think other colleges will soon follow.
There is no question as to if I will teach after having taken this course. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in high school and this class has helped me fortify my decision; a decision that was difficult to make since I returning to college after having three children. Along with a supportive husband this class has given me the confidence I needed to continue with the program this fall.
Over the course of the semester I observed classrooms at Partnership Elementary School. I was able to go through a classroom of a grade level each week. As I was there I was able to observe some of the things I would be doing as a teacher. I was able to pick up helpful hints and good ideas for activities that might interest my future students. I really enjoyed my experience there, I was able to learn so much out of that experience and really see what it would be like to actually be inside a classroom. Although there were some obstacles such as; some of the teachers did not seem very welcoming to the fact that there were new students in their classrooms. I can understand the frustrations of always having a student looking in on your classroom all the time but I would have at least thought that some of them would have at least introduced me to the class. Instead I would have kids coming up to me asking me why I was there during the middle of her lesson which at times was disruptive. I am definitely going to take away my whole experience and learn from what I have done. I don’t think that you can really truly understand what it is like to be in the classroom setting if you have never experienced it. The peace college conceptual framework has the appropriate components of exactly what a teacher should be. They have to be rigorous in order to know and challenge the students. They have to know what the curriculum and know how to make the strong relationships and know how to be the supportive effective teacher. After my experience I still have no doubt in my mind that teaching is what I want to do. I want to be able to make a difference in a young person, and knowing that I have would make very happy.
Post a Comment