August Update

It's hard to believe that my LAST first day of high school was almost two weeks ago. (My younger brother, who is turning six in September, told me I was "old" now. Geez, thanks little man...) To be honest, I cannot quite make out what I'm feeling. I'm both ecstatic and blue about this final school year and of the thought of graduating. Senior year isn't going to be easy, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I found that this homemade sign created a very welcoming atmosphere for parents
visiting their child's elementary school classroom. 

For my summer mentorship, I observed and assisted an elementary school teacher who taught first graders how to become fluent readers. I enjoyed working with this age group, consisting of 5-to-6 year-olds, but I want to take the opportunity of mentoring with someone who instructs upper grade levels. In doing so, I believe that I would be able to find a grade level I'm suited to teach.

My mentor's elementary school has just recently begun their 2014-15 school year, so it has been a challenge to set-up a schedule for me attend mentorship. As mentioned in the previous blog, my mentor Ms. Peterson was once engrossed in the art of fashion designing and now teaches third graders the importance of creativity learned from fashion. I will be meeting with her early this week to discuss when and what I would be doing with her for the month of September. I also plan to interview her for the interview component, because I believe that with her knowledge of teaching multiple grade levels, I could really narrow down my topic to teaching a specific grade level. When I go to see her on Wednesday, I really want to share some ideas I found for her classroom. A couple of the ideas I found on Pinterest are described below.

These personalized boxes are perfect for silent reading time, because it
 allows students to store their books in an organized fashion. 

Vinyl can go a long way and it's easy to use. Applying simple phrases anywhere in 
the classroom would make it more interactive and give it a clean effect.

I'm sure that my mentor has some classroom organizers of her own making, so I look forward to hearing what she thinks about the things I found and came up with. I could learn if they can realistically be applied to a working classroom or not. I will also be posting more classroom organization ideas and about my experiences working at an elementary school. In order to close off this blog post, I'll leave a quote from an iconic children's author.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Suess, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! 

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Content:

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?

Early next week, I plan to interview Mary Peterson, an educator at Lark Ellen Elementary School. In previous years, Ms. Peterson was captivated by the art in fashion and had been working in the business. Today she spends her days teaching and working with elementary school children, but applies the creativity derived from fashion to teaching. I choose to interview Mary Peterson because I believe that since she has taught both third and fifth grades levels, with the influence of an art, it could help me decide on which grade level I would like to teach.

2. You have to ask five (a-e) questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask? Ask opened-questions. What are open-ended questions? Click here! If that doesn't help, try this one. Click here?

 a) I'm interested in studying ____________. What can you tell me about it?
 b) From your perspective, what could I study that would be significant?
 c) Who else would you recommend I talk to?
 d) What kinds of places or activities do you recommend I do for the mentorship component?
 e) What books should I read in this field?

What is your approach to addressing and covering the common core standards?

Why did you decide to change your career path to elementary school teaching?

How do you manage to communicate effectively with parents?

What is it like to teach third graders vs. fifth graders?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. List your topic here: Teaching Elementary with the Basis of the Arts

2. Write a question that helps to focus your research this month.

How does applying the arts to a child's education affect their psychological development?

3. Post the working bibliography (WB) on the right hand side of the blog and share it so anybody can view it.

My working bibliography (WB) is posted on the right, under my Mentorship Log, but it is also here.

Blog 2: Summer Mentorship Component

Content: (directions) 

Answer the following 5 questions. Remember to link the log of your mentorship hours using google docs (drive). Post your blog response on your senior project blog. We check it there.

Literal

1. (Know) Using google docs (drive) link a log of specific hours and a description of your duties (click here for an example) to your blog post.  

My Summer Mentorship Log

2. What is the contact name & number of where you volunteered?

AnnMarie Krall

(626) 974-4510 
Lark Ellen Elementary

3. (Need to know) What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience? List them.

How will teaching methods change with the rise of the technological age? Should I be keeping up-to-date with what technology is all ready being used in the classrooms? 

If I were to teach english abroad, after college, what other requirements would have to be done?

In what ways could applying art and music into the curriculum impact students in a positive manner? Who and how has successfully accomplished this?

Addressing the needs of visual and auditory learners can be done by?

Interpretive 

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

Keeping a positive outlook on any given situation is the most important thing I have gained from this learning experience. People tend to make rash decisions when all hope seems to be lost and when patience runs out. Working with children and spending time with them made me realize that they are at a crucial age in their development. They are absolute sponges, mimicking you in every way. These young students spend most of their time with you and if they see that you are supportive, rather than being pessimistic, it encourages them to be the same. I will become an exemplary educator and I believe that bidding farewell to negativity helps me grow as a person and as a teacher.

Applied

5. What is your senior project topic going to be? How did what you did help you choose a topic? Please explain.

As stated in my first blog, my senior topic is going to be on teaching elementary school and how applying art into the curriculum could prove to be beneficial for a student. As a child, my mother enrolled me in drawing classes, martial arts, and music lessons. I personally enjoyed them and I have always believed that because of the childhood I had, surrounded by the many arts, allowed me to relish learning. After observing an elementary school class and giving a hand from time to time, it reinforced my belief of positive outcomes for child development from art in the curriculum. The students were participating in activities designed by the teachers that targeted the different areas of art. I wish to explore more about this by making it my senior topic, being something I would equally enjoy and be fascinated with.