Education Experience
As a future graduate, I am very fortunate to have had many valuable experiences in the classroom. Westminster College's education program has pushed us into the classroom from our first year and for that, I am very grateful. I have watched myself grow as an educator and I can only imagine how much more I will learn within my first few years of teaching. For more details, please review my resume.
Student Teaching Spring 2015
General & Special Education setting
To be completed
Practicum, Emotional Support Classroom 6th-8th grade Fall 2014
George Junior Republic (GJR)
During this two week placement in a juvenile delinquent correctional facility, I quickly realized this had to be the most challenging job within the education field. As an all boys facility, it was a unique school with expectations, structure and discipline not seen in public schools today; it has structure and discipline they so desperately need and want because it is nonexistent within their own communities and homes. Many of the students arrive on campus after being convicted and about 80% of the population will receive special education services. Within my unit (or classroom), I had eleven boys all with different stories and different pasts. Many were willing to share their twelve or thirteen years of life experience upon completing an autobiography writing unit, owning up to their mistakes and highlighting small achievements, while others did not. As the boys make their way through the GJR program, many will return home and run slack into the same problems and temptations they were faced with and convicted of before they left. As my cooperating teacher told me, GJR houses talented boys and their talent and potential is wasted. Because they choose to run the streets or because they lack discipline and structure at home, their talent is wasted. And that was extremely hard to see as an educator.
Research Project 2014-2015 school year
Family-School Partnerships
To be completed
Intern Summer 2014
New Castle Public Library
With school out, what better way to cool off than at the library? Over the course of two months, June and July, I was able to plan, develop and implement a science themed reading program. Once a week, a group of upper elementary students (2nd-5th) would join me for a time of discovery. We explored different topics such as plants, our senses, arctic animals, oil spills and pollution. Designed in a way to encourage future reading, the program began with a book, both fiction and nonfiction, and concluded with a hands-on activity. Although the numbers were relatively low (between 5-10 children), I was able to become more confident in teaching science -a content area I have little experience with.
Camp Counselor Summer 2014, '13, '12
New Castle YMCA Summer Day Camp
For the past three summers, I had one of the best jobs around. As a camp counselor, I developed lessons and activities (ranging from arts, science, nature, sports, and team building) for ages 5-12, conducted "Morning Meeting" with 5-8 year-olds, communicated with families and staff, all the while making sure everyone was having fun. Each summer presented new and old campers and challenges and each summer I was drawn into the chaos with glee. Every camper came from a different walk of life: some wealthy, some foster children, many adapted, many with behavioral problems but all wanting two things, to play and be cared for. It was my goal each and every day to continue developing rapport with each child and have them walk away with a smile on their face. Because I left each day with a smile on mine because of them.
Practicum, 1st grade Spring 2014
Farrell Elementary
During my junior year, I was placed in a school where I was able to spend almost three weeks in one classroom. It was spread out over the course of the semester so I was able to learn my students and plan according to them. Farrell Elementary is a predominately African American school with many families following under the low socioeconomic bracket. Because of this, almost every single student in my 1st grade classroom had a "story:" an incarcerated parent, death in the family, serious illness of the child, absent parent, or active military parent. It broke my heart a million different ways but it answered many of my questions: Why are they behaving like this? Are they receiving the support needed at home? How do they learn? It revealed to me the interconnected bond family and school have and will always share.
Outside of creating lesson plans, many that incorporated two different content areas in a single lesson, I was able to help facilitate a Family Math Night. The night was designed to encourage families to review skills with their child through games and technology. Through the leadership and guidance of one of my Westminster professors, we welcomed Deborah Hopkinson, children's author, to a local elementary and middle school. She shared with students her stories, techniques, and encouraged the development of writing. Both events were exciting for students and me!
Field Experience, Learning Support PreK-4th January 2014
Union Elementary
As one of my first experiences with exceptional children, I immediately felt challenged yet comforted. I loved the setting of having a small intimate classroom working one-on-one with students but I definitely felt I needed to grow more as an educator in order to meet the needs of these students. My co-teacher was a shining example for me: from progress monitoring, managing endless paperwork, scaffolding strategies, IEP procedures -I learned so much in those two weeks.
Student Teaching Spring 2015
General & Special Education setting
To be completed
Practicum, Emotional Support Classroom 6th-8th grade Fall 2014
George Junior Republic (GJR)
During this two week placement in a juvenile delinquent correctional facility, I quickly realized this had to be the most challenging job within the education field. As an all boys facility, it was a unique school with expectations, structure and discipline not seen in public schools today; it has structure and discipline they so desperately need and want because it is nonexistent within their own communities and homes. Many of the students arrive on campus after being convicted and about 80% of the population will receive special education services. Within my unit (or classroom), I had eleven boys all with different stories and different pasts. Many were willing to share their twelve or thirteen years of life experience upon completing an autobiography writing unit, owning up to their mistakes and highlighting small achievements, while others did not. As the boys make their way through the GJR program, many will return home and run slack into the same problems and temptations they were faced with and convicted of before they left. As my cooperating teacher told me, GJR houses talented boys and their talent and potential is wasted. Because they choose to run the streets or because they lack discipline and structure at home, their talent is wasted. And that was extremely hard to see as an educator.
Research Project 2014-2015 school year
Family-School Partnerships
To be completed
Intern Summer 2014
New Castle Public Library
With school out, what better way to cool off than at the library? Over the course of two months, June and July, I was able to plan, develop and implement a science themed reading program. Once a week, a group of upper elementary students (2nd-5th) would join me for a time of discovery. We explored different topics such as plants, our senses, arctic animals, oil spills and pollution. Designed in a way to encourage future reading, the program began with a book, both fiction and nonfiction, and concluded with a hands-on activity. Although the numbers were relatively low (between 5-10 children), I was able to become more confident in teaching science -a content area I have little experience with.
Camp Counselor Summer 2014, '13, '12
New Castle YMCA Summer Day Camp
For the past three summers, I had one of the best jobs around. As a camp counselor, I developed lessons and activities (ranging from arts, science, nature, sports, and team building) for ages 5-12, conducted "Morning Meeting" with 5-8 year-olds, communicated with families and staff, all the while making sure everyone was having fun. Each summer presented new and old campers and challenges and each summer I was drawn into the chaos with glee. Every camper came from a different walk of life: some wealthy, some foster children, many adapted, many with behavioral problems but all wanting two things, to play and be cared for. It was my goal each and every day to continue developing rapport with each child and have them walk away with a smile on their face. Because I left each day with a smile on mine because of them.
Practicum, 1st grade Spring 2014
Farrell Elementary
During my junior year, I was placed in a school where I was able to spend almost three weeks in one classroom. It was spread out over the course of the semester so I was able to learn my students and plan according to them. Farrell Elementary is a predominately African American school with many families following under the low socioeconomic bracket. Because of this, almost every single student in my 1st grade classroom had a "story:" an incarcerated parent, death in the family, serious illness of the child, absent parent, or active military parent. It broke my heart a million different ways but it answered many of my questions: Why are they behaving like this? Are they receiving the support needed at home? How do they learn? It revealed to me the interconnected bond family and school have and will always share.
Outside of creating lesson plans, many that incorporated two different content areas in a single lesson, I was able to help facilitate a Family Math Night. The night was designed to encourage families to review skills with their child through games and technology. Through the leadership and guidance of one of my Westminster professors, we welcomed Deborah Hopkinson, children's author, to a local elementary and middle school. She shared with students her stories, techniques, and encouraged the development of writing. Both events were exciting for students and me!
Field Experience, Learning Support PreK-4th January 2014
Union Elementary
As one of my first experiences with exceptional children, I immediately felt challenged yet comforted. I loved the setting of having a small intimate classroom working one-on-one with students but I definitely felt I needed to grow more as an educator in order to meet the needs of these students. My co-teacher was a shining example for me: from progress monitoring, managing endless paperwork, scaffolding strategies, IEP procedures -I learned so much in those two weeks.
Guest Speaker, K-12th Spring 2013
Language in Motion
Through a program designed to encourage local elementary and high school students exposure to culture, I was able to present my love of Brazil. During my senior year of high school, I was a Rotary Exchange Student in Minas Gerais, BR and it changed my life forever (for more information you can access my blog located on my contact page).
On the elementary level, I developed a lesson focused on Brazilian literature and dance. On the high school level, I developed a lesson focused on the comparison of the romance languages. My lessons pulled my students to consider life outside of Western Pennsylvania and arose many questions of daily life. My heart is still painted green, yellow and blue and to have the opportunity to present to local students is one of my favorite experiences.
Practicum, PreK Spring 2013
New Castle Head Start Program
For one month, I spent my Thursday mornings with three and four-year-olds at a local Head Start Program. During that month, I realized what a great program Head Start is: allowing students of low socioeconomic background the chance to develop and be on target by kindergarten, the resources available to families and professional care given to each student.
During that month, I learned to never fully believe in stereotypes. With all the research and readings educators have, you come to believe that if a child comes from a low socioeconomic family, their family will be absent from their child's education. I saw just the opposite at Head Start; I saw families that cared, families that were present, families that spent time in the classroom.
Field Experience, K-1st January 2013
Boony Doon Elementary
I was anxious to begin my first experience in a K-1 classroom. I quickly made mistakes after testing the waters and learned immensely. The classroom atmosphere was interesting: half kindergarten students and half first graders. The kindergarteners saw the example and expectations of the first graders thus having the first graders lead as role models. However, with planning it was difficult because I had a variety of students at different learning levels. My cooperating teacher balanced this with partner work (kindergarteners matched with 1st graders) and small rotating centers.
The school has in place a program where each grade level is matched with another grade level and together they meet weekly to complete activities and projects. Similar to my classroom where their are "role models," this school-wide program allows students who wouldn't necessarily interact, work together and have some as "teachers" or "role models" and others as "learners" or "helpers." I would love to carry over this program to my future school.