What aspects of the program (courses, practical experiences, workshops, etc.) do you feel were particularly impactful in preparing you for a teaching career?

My site professor, Laurie Grosselfinger, went above and beyond throughout the entirety of my program. She consistently and clearly laid out what was expected at the begining of the year, frequently came with actionable feedback, and routinely provided resource after resource to assist me in teaching. I learned a lot from my classes and from my site teachers, but my site professor really helped tie things together and answer remaining questions. Observations were continuously a benifit in my learning experience as a teacher because of Laurie.

What subjects or areas do you wish were covered more extensively or in greater detail during your teacher preparation program?

I wished we'd discussed more behavior management strategies in our classes. I learned so much about the academics of education, the pitfalls and inequity built into our pedigogy, how to teach phonics, how to utilize rubrics, and so much else. But the only instruction I received on classroom management was from the book Warm Demander I read for class and from my site teachers. There's so many styles and methods to managing behavior and I wish I'd had a class on one.

Or Spanish as a language, as a growing portion of our English language learning students speak it at home. I throughly understand now how little we know about teaching emerging bilinguals English, but as we learn more I would love concrete strategies to apply to K-5th grade students.