Teaching Internship 2009
I have to say that my internship experience was a positive one. The one thing I enjoyed the most was the one-on-one mentorship. This helped me to understand the theory that I learned at university and combine it with hands on experience.
On the theoretical side, I learned how to develop lesson and unit plans in my university classes. I discovered that it is easier to make a lesson plan when you are teaching a group of kids that you know. There is purpose to the lesson and you can focus adaptations toward the specific needs of your students. When I was developing my unit plans just prior to the beginning of the school year the one section that I left out was the adaptations until I could learn more about my students. I wanted to make sure that my adaptations were going to meet the needs of my students. This is something that I could not have done until I met the students and talked with other teachers.
Classroom management was a learning process that required time in the classroom. The training I received in Circle of Courage, RAP, and non-violent communication went a long way to help develop ideas to apply in the classroom. I learned how to be firm without being overbearing. I learned to show my students that I cared about them and provided the structure that they needed at the same time. Part of the classroom management discussion centered on how I was brought up and disciplined in my childhood. I did not realize how much influence that had on how I managed my classroom.
My greatest challenge and success during my internship revolved around the same experience. I taught my grade 4/5s how to crochet. It certainly was a daunting task. The easy part was collecting money to buy supplies. The challenge came with teaching. I chose several students to become my crochet experts. I had about one student per row of students. This enabled a higher success rate of students learning the basics. Some other students excelled and also assisted their peers with new stitches and understanding patterns. The end result of the crochet project was a granny square afghan that was sold at the schools fundraiser auction. With the remaining yarn, the students learned how to crochet scarves. As much as this project wanted to make me pull out my hair a few times, it was certainly a test in classroom management, patience, and organization. I would definitely do this project again for art.
On the theoretical side, I learned how to develop lesson and unit plans in my university classes. I discovered that it is easier to make a lesson plan when you are teaching a group of kids that you know. There is purpose to the lesson and you can focus adaptations toward the specific needs of your students. When I was developing my unit plans just prior to the beginning of the school year the one section that I left out was the adaptations until I could learn more about my students. I wanted to make sure that my adaptations were going to meet the needs of my students. This is something that I could not have done until I met the students and talked with other teachers.
Classroom management was a learning process that required time in the classroom. The training I received in Circle of Courage, RAP, and non-violent communication went a long way to help develop ideas to apply in the classroom. I learned how to be firm without being overbearing. I learned to show my students that I cared about them and provided the structure that they needed at the same time. Part of the classroom management discussion centered on how I was brought up and disciplined in my childhood. I did not realize how much influence that had on how I managed my classroom.
My greatest challenge and success during my internship revolved around the same experience. I taught my grade 4/5s how to crochet. It certainly was a daunting task. The easy part was collecting money to buy supplies. The challenge came with teaching. I chose several students to become my crochet experts. I had about one student per row of students. This enabled a higher success rate of students learning the basics. Some other students excelled and also assisted their peers with new stitches and understanding patterns. The end result of the crochet project was a granny square afghan that was sold at the schools fundraiser auction. With the remaining yarn, the students learned how to crochet scarves. As much as this project wanted to make me pull out my hair a few times, it was certainly a test in classroom management, patience, and organization. I would definitely do this project again for art.