Journals
2/25/13
The first day of my internship went really well! It was so nice to reunite with Mrs. Darwin, my former fifth grade teacher. At first, I really didn't know what to expect. I had never been viewed as a teacher before, and I was kind of nervous but also anxious. When I first walked into the room Mrs. Darwin was in the middle of teaching and I had to wait a minute or two before I knew what to do. As soon as she had the chance she introduced me to the class. I was kind of glad she went ahead and introduced me because I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be called Ms. Lester or Ms. Kelley. After she introduced me, I said “hi” to the class in a really awkward voice and then went and sat down in the chair next to Mrs. Darwin’s computer. I sat and observed the class for the 30 minutes or so before lunch. I wasn't sure what time their lunch was, so I hadn’t brought one. I had to buy lunch from their cafeteria. That was the first time I had eaten a school lunch since the sixth grade, and it made me sick. I was fine for the entire time I was in the school, but as soon as I got home I felt terrible. While I was eating, Mrs. Darwin introduced me to the other teachers in the teachers’ lounge. Some of them I remembered from when I had went to school there, and some of them were new. It was interesting talking with other teachers and getting a better idea of what teachers go through every day. Anyway, after lunch we went back to the classroom where I continued to sit and observe until three o’clock. I wasn't really expecting to do much, but I would have liked to do something. Overall though, it was a very good first day! I am sure I will be doing a lot of different things in the future, and I am so excited! I can’t wait to see what all I get to do over the next few months. I know this will be a very good experience.
2/27/13
My second day was a lot better as far as involvement with the students. I really got to interact with them for the first time today. Today, the class went to the computer lab, went to the library, and then worked on some history worksheets. While in the computer lab, I helped anybody who didn’t understand what to do. Most of them didn’t have any problems though, because it was a pretty simple task. The only thing they had to do was click and drag pictures into the corresponding columns. My chance to really interact with them came when we were in the library. In the library, they had to answer some questions on a worksheet by choosing whether they should use a dictionary, thesaurus, almanac, atlas, or encyclopedia to find the answer. I definitely helped a lot more kids with that. It really taught me a certain way of explaining things so younger kids can understand them. I enjoyed it though. I’ve always enjoyed explaining things to students who didn’t understand something in class. This was a bit of a different experience though because it was all that I was doing. After the library, when we went back to the room the kids worked on their history worksheets. I helped answer the few questions they had, and other than that I sat and observed the class. Another thing that I was able to do today was learn the students’ names and kind of get a feel for their personalities. It’s really interesting, and I know it will be helpful later on when I start teaching lessons. The more I know about the students the better I can help them learn, and I know how to approach them in order to get a response. Also, just observing Mrs. Darwin teach is teaching me how a class of fifth graders is treated. It’s a lot different than what I’m used to in high school, and also a lot different than lower elementary or even middle school. Even though it’s only been two days, I am already really enjoying my internship.
3/13/13
Today was really interesting, but also fun. The fifth graders were taking their writing SOL so Mrs. Darwin told me to go into a third grade class for the day. Before our internships even started I really wanted to do third grade, but I also really wanted to work with Mrs. Darwin so I went to fifth. I found that the third grade is completely different from the fifth grade. Just from that one day I found that I like it more. The students act so differently! Everyone was giving me hugs! I never get hugs in my fifth grade class, ever! They were having so much more fun and were so full of energy. I don’t know what happens when kids get older but they just become less and less enthusiastic about school through the years. I mean just look at high school! Anyway, while I was there they were learning about simple machines. They watch a Science Court, which is an interactive video. During the breaks in the video they had to fill out worksheets. I was helping them figure out the answers and again I found they were so different from my regular class. At the end of class, they were all asking me questions like how old I was. When I told them I was 17 and went to high school, they were all like “Whoa! No Way! You go to high school?” I just really enjoyed being in there. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy the fifth grade, because I do. I just feel like maybe the third grade is a better fit for me. The kids seem like the perfect age, and they act so sweet! I’m thinking about trying the third grade for my internship next year.
4/16/13
I taught my second lesson today. It was about chemical changes and chemical reactions. I didn’t start my lesson until after lunch. So, I was helping students with their math before anything else. When the class came back from lunch I had them all pull out their science books. I asked for volunteers to read aloud the sections about chemical changes and reactions. After one section was read, I would explain it in different words and give examples that they would see in their everyday life. Things like a nail rusting or the Statue of Liberty turning green. I also answered any questions that they had as we went along. After we were done reading, I performed some experiments in front of the class. One of them was filling a balloon with baking soda, filling a soda bottle with vinegar, putting the balloon over the bottle and then dumping the baking soda into the vinegar. When I did this the baking soda reacted with the vinegar to form a gas, which filled up the balloon. The kids thought that was really cool. After the experiments were over, I played a YouTube video. The video was a rap about physical and chemical changes. While they were watching the video they had to separate the chemical changes from the physical changes on a sheet of paper. When the video was over, we reviewed. After that, I was done teaching for the day. For the rest of the day I assisted Mrs. Darwin with anything she needed like helping students, or making copies. I really enjoyed teaching, and Mrs. Darwin said I did a good job. It seems that every time I teach I get more and more excited to teach again.
5/8/13
Today was the last day of my internship. It was kind of bitter-sweet. I was sad to leave because I really enjoyed being there and teaching. However, I also have a lot of big tests and some other things coming up that would make it really hard for me to handle everything plus and internship. Nevertheless, I still went in there like any other day. When I first arrived they were doing math in groups of two spread throughout the room. Mrs. Darwin handed me an answer sheet to check their answers. While I was checking their answers, I took pictures of them working because I had forgotten to do that earlier in my internship(I'll post some below). Most of them were doing a really good job on the worksheet, but I helped anybody who needed it. It wasn’t long before they went to lunch. When they came back, they went to the computer lab to take a test to see what career they might be interested for when they grow up. I explained any words they didn’t know. It was really interesting to see what some of them came up with. When we came back from the computer lab, Mrs. Darwin surprised me with my present. She gave me a beaded lanyard and the students made me a card. I thought that was so sweet! After opening my present in front of the class, I gave everyone a cupcake to say thank you for letting me come into their room and teach. For the rest of the day they worked on some worksheets. A few of the students hugged me goodbye and said they would miss me. One even asked me to visit before the year was over, so did Mrs. Darwin. I really did enjoy my time there and I can’t wait to start my internship next year!
The first day of my internship went really well! It was so nice to reunite with Mrs. Darwin, my former fifth grade teacher. At first, I really didn't know what to expect. I had never been viewed as a teacher before, and I was kind of nervous but also anxious. When I first walked into the room Mrs. Darwin was in the middle of teaching and I had to wait a minute or two before I knew what to do. As soon as she had the chance she introduced me to the class. I was kind of glad she went ahead and introduced me because I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be called Ms. Lester or Ms. Kelley. After she introduced me, I said “hi” to the class in a really awkward voice and then went and sat down in the chair next to Mrs. Darwin’s computer. I sat and observed the class for the 30 minutes or so before lunch. I wasn't sure what time their lunch was, so I hadn’t brought one. I had to buy lunch from their cafeteria. That was the first time I had eaten a school lunch since the sixth grade, and it made me sick. I was fine for the entire time I was in the school, but as soon as I got home I felt terrible. While I was eating, Mrs. Darwin introduced me to the other teachers in the teachers’ lounge. Some of them I remembered from when I had went to school there, and some of them were new. It was interesting talking with other teachers and getting a better idea of what teachers go through every day. Anyway, after lunch we went back to the classroom where I continued to sit and observe until three o’clock. I wasn't really expecting to do much, but I would have liked to do something. Overall though, it was a very good first day! I am sure I will be doing a lot of different things in the future, and I am so excited! I can’t wait to see what all I get to do over the next few months. I know this will be a very good experience.
2/27/13
My second day was a lot better as far as involvement with the students. I really got to interact with them for the first time today. Today, the class went to the computer lab, went to the library, and then worked on some history worksheets. While in the computer lab, I helped anybody who didn’t understand what to do. Most of them didn’t have any problems though, because it was a pretty simple task. The only thing they had to do was click and drag pictures into the corresponding columns. My chance to really interact with them came when we were in the library. In the library, they had to answer some questions on a worksheet by choosing whether they should use a dictionary, thesaurus, almanac, atlas, or encyclopedia to find the answer. I definitely helped a lot more kids with that. It really taught me a certain way of explaining things so younger kids can understand them. I enjoyed it though. I’ve always enjoyed explaining things to students who didn’t understand something in class. This was a bit of a different experience though because it was all that I was doing. After the library, when we went back to the room the kids worked on their history worksheets. I helped answer the few questions they had, and other than that I sat and observed the class. Another thing that I was able to do today was learn the students’ names and kind of get a feel for their personalities. It’s really interesting, and I know it will be helpful later on when I start teaching lessons. The more I know about the students the better I can help them learn, and I know how to approach them in order to get a response. Also, just observing Mrs. Darwin teach is teaching me how a class of fifth graders is treated. It’s a lot different than what I’m used to in high school, and also a lot different than lower elementary or even middle school. Even though it’s only been two days, I am already really enjoying my internship.
3/13/13
Today was really interesting, but also fun. The fifth graders were taking their writing SOL so Mrs. Darwin told me to go into a third grade class for the day. Before our internships even started I really wanted to do third grade, but I also really wanted to work with Mrs. Darwin so I went to fifth. I found that the third grade is completely different from the fifth grade. Just from that one day I found that I like it more. The students act so differently! Everyone was giving me hugs! I never get hugs in my fifth grade class, ever! They were having so much more fun and were so full of energy. I don’t know what happens when kids get older but they just become less and less enthusiastic about school through the years. I mean just look at high school! Anyway, while I was there they were learning about simple machines. They watch a Science Court, which is an interactive video. During the breaks in the video they had to fill out worksheets. I was helping them figure out the answers and again I found they were so different from my regular class. At the end of class, they were all asking me questions like how old I was. When I told them I was 17 and went to high school, they were all like “Whoa! No Way! You go to high school?” I just really enjoyed being in there. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy the fifth grade, because I do. I just feel like maybe the third grade is a better fit for me. The kids seem like the perfect age, and they act so sweet! I’m thinking about trying the third grade for my internship next year.
4/16/13
I taught my second lesson today. It was about chemical changes and chemical reactions. I didn’t start my lesson until after lunch. So, I was helping students with their math before anything else. When the class came back from lunch I had them all pull out their science books. I asked for volunteers to read aloud the sections about chemical changes and reactions. After one section was read, I would explain it in different words and give examples that they would see in their everyday life. Things like a nail rusting or the Statue of Liberty turning green. I also answered any questions that they had as we went along. After we were done reading, I performed some experiments in front of the class. One of them was filling a balloon with baking soda, filling a soda bottle with vinegar, putting the balloon over the bottle and then dumping the baking soda into the vinegar. When I did this the baking soda reacted with the vinegar to form a gas, which filled up the balloon. The kids thought that was really cool. After the experiments were over, I played a YouTube video. The video was a rap about physical and chemical changes. While they were watching the video they had to separate the chemical changes from the physical changes on a sheet of paper. When the video was over, we reviewed. After that, I was done teaching for the day. For the rest of the day I assisted Mrs. Darwin with anything she needed like helping students, or making copies. I really enjoyed teaching, and Mrs. Darwin said I did a good job. It seems that every time I teach I get more and more excited to teach again.
5/8/13
Today was the last day of my internship. It was kind of bitter-sweet. I was sad to leave because I really enjoyed being there and teaching. However, I also have a lot of big tests and some other things coming up that would make it really hard for me to handle everything plus and internship. Nevertheless, I still went in there like any other day. When I first arrived they were doing math in groups of two spread throughout the room. Mrs. Darwin handed me an answer sheet to check their answers. While I was checking their answers, I took pictures of them working because I had forgotten to do that earlier in my internship(I'll post some below). Most of them were doing a really good job on the worksheet, but I helped anybody who needed it. It wasn’t long before they went to lunch. When they came back, they went to the computer lab to take a test to see what career they might be interested for when they grow up. I explained any words they didn’t know. It was really interesting to see what some of them came up with. When we came back from the computer lab, Mrs. Darwin surprised me with my present. She gave me a beaded lanyard and the students made me a card. I thought that was so sweet! After opening my present in front of the class, I gave everyone a cupcake to say thank you for letting me come into their room and teach. For the rest of the day they worked on some worksheets. A few of the students hugged me goodbye and said they would miss me. One even asked me to visit before the year was over, so did Mrs. Darwin. I really did enjoy my time there and I can’t wait to start my internship next year!