College Experience

During my 3rd grade placement for the student teaching experience, I had the opportunity to apply everything I have learned over the years about teaching in a real-life classroom setting. I planned and delivered engaging lessons, used student assessment data to guide instruction, and differentiated instruction to meet diverse learning needs. I built strong relationships with my students, collaborated with my host teacher, and developed classroom management skills.  Through consistent reflection and feedback, my skills, confidence, and understanding of what it means to be a teacher and how to create a positive learning environment grew immensely. This experience has deepened my passion for education and has prepared me to begin my career.

For my field placement in 1st grade, I visited this classroom once a week for the entire semester. I gained valuable hands-on experience supporting young learners' academic and social growth. I created interactive activities that increased student participation during daily lessons. These activities used a variety of instructional methods and connected to real-world applications, in order to provoke more student engagement and curiosity. In addition, I worked a lot with students to learn decoding strategies while reading to boost reading proficiency. This experience inspired me to continue growing as an educator who nurtures curiosity, confidence, and creativity in every student.

For my field placement in 3rd grade, I visited this classroom once a week for the entire semester. I gained valuable experience supporting students' academic growth and building classroom community. I planned and taught several math and science lessons that encouraged hands-on learning. In math, I also helped maintain and create a resource wall to reinforce strategies and support the students in problem-solving. I also had the opportunity to lead morning meetings, which allowed me to build relationships with students and practice effective classroom management techniques. This experience strengthened my ability to design engaging lessons, while at the same time deepening my passion in this career field.

For my field placement in preschool, I visited this classroom for two weeks and had the opportunity to observe, teach, and play alongside a group of energetic learners. I gained valuable experience understanding the importance of repetition, routine, and play in early childhood development. With guidance from the lead teacher, I helped plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities that supported social, emotional, and cognitive growth. I also participated in center-based play, joining students in activities like pizza shop, beauty salon, and veterinarian's office to reinforce the classroom theme of community helpers. This experience helped me better understand how play can be a powerful learning tool and strengthened my commitment to fostering imagination in every child.