It's now 2015! The year I [hopefully] graduate! The past several weeks have been extremely busy due to planning events with ASB, lesson 2 presentations, and independent component matter.
In the beginning of January, I went to THINK Together's Headquarters in West Covina. THINK Together is a free after-school program with a mission to "create opportunities for kids to discover their passions and reach their full potential." I attended an orientation conducted by Joseph Cabral, Manager of volunteers, and had to fill out some paperwork in order to mentor with them. The pictures below were taken by me after I completed orientation. The picture on the left is of the logo that hung in the entrance of the building and the picture on the right is my volunteer/mentorship handbook.
This month I've visited my local public library far more than usual. Why? For RESEARCH. My independent component is composed of additional mentorship hours and a first grade reading/writing unit. I completed most of the lessons for my unit but needed more information as to how it all connects and relates to my EQ. Below are two books that have immensely given me insight on my topic and more specifically, child development. My weekly craft this week looks more like a writing assignment, but, a memorable one. It's a fun fill-in personal reflection sheet on things we've loved and enjoyed the past year. This craft can be found on the bottom right column in my senior blog.
I found a quote that not only fit the month of January, but for the new Year! It's a bit too sophisticated and complex for younger children but the quote is poetic and fitting for new beginnings.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice." - T.S. Elliot
Content:
1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
I am most proud of my activity because of the effect it had on the class. An important life lesson I've learned is people don't always remember what you do or say to them but instead remember how you made them feel. The video shown during the activity was an eye-opener to the various situations we as children found ourselves in and the majority of the class was moved by it.
2. A. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
AE P AP CR NC
2. B. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I believe that I earned a "P" overall for my Lesson 2 Presentation because I meet all the "P" considerations requirements.
3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
What worked for me, in my Lesson 2, was the simplicity and organization of my powerpoint. There was a decent amount of visuals and not too much text on each slide.
4. (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your lesson 2?
If I had a time machine, I would most likely add onto the content of my lecture and use the space around me to interact more with the class.
5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
I think my answer #2 is going to be somewhere along the lines of having patience and an understanding of the student's background.
Content:
1. Where are you doing your mentorship?
I will begin doing my second mentorship beginning next week at Lark Ellen Elementary school.
2. Who is your contact?
My contact is my mentor Ms. Krall, a first grade teacher.
3. How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship located at the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?
I've explained as to why I have subpar mentorship hours, 3 hours and 30 minutes, but I feel that I have learned how to work through the unforeseen events that have taken place.
4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
For the hours that I did manage to complete, I shadowed my mentor and got to observe the distinct behaviors of children in the process of improving both their reading and writing skills. During mentorship, I helped my mentor by organizing and sorting paperwork that included information on common core. I also assisted during reading time, meaning I worked with students to improve pronunciation and expanded their vocabulary.
Content:
1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?
During the break, I picked up a couple of books on my topic and worked on my independent component. For my independent component, I have the unit outline completed and am currently designing a classroom layout that encourages creativity. Visuals COMING SOON. In a previous blog post, I mentioned how my mentorship [where I work with third graders] at an elementary school, were ALSO on break. (Meaning that I'm kind of behind on mentorship hours.)
2. What is the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?
The most important thing I've learned is the significance of time management for educators. Teachers are expected to plan and properly execute lessons plans, and meet standards; their worst enemy being time itself. I've learned that by creating a welcoming learning environment and building routines, a teacher is able to "make more time." I believe this most important because time management is a skill that not all teachers have and it's one I want to have as a future educator. I attained this new found knowledge from the books I checked out from the library before and during the break.
3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
My EQ is "How can a teacher most effectively use the arts to produce fluent readers?" If I were going to do an interview on questions related to answers for this EQ, I would defiantly try to interview my new mentor. She has specifically worked with child development in reading and has been teaching elementary for some time now. She gave me an idea of what I wanted my senior topic to be during the summer and I believe that she'll be able to help me answer my essential question.
