My Program Experience:

Upon reflecting on my experience in this program as a whole, I can without a doubt say that I have learned a lot--a lot about standards, a lot about teaching, and a lot about myself. State standards are magnificent resources and helpful guidelines that tell us what students are expected to learn and do. I have found them most helpful during backwards planning, and framing my intent for a unit or lesson. Teaching is a multidimensional job that requires a lot of intentional effort, care, empathy and organization. In order to most effectively teach students, one needs to learn about those students; this includes partnering with families to best support their kiddos. Some of my absolute favorite moments this semester have been getting to know my students, listening to them talk so much about what interests them, witnessing their immense growth, and meeting supportive and caring families.

I came into this program thinking that I wanted to teach upper elementary school, and that the little ones were definitely not for me. Through persevering and keeping an open mind, I have found that having experience teaching any grade k-5 can bring insight and confidence that I did not know I had in me before. I have developed a love for teaching kindergarten. It can be seen as the foundation of elementary school learning, and it has not yet failed to put a smile on my face every day.

Knowledge Gaps

I really feel the need to gain experience teaching other grade levels, and familiarizing myself with their respective standards and goals. This will happen over time, but something I want to work on is bridging connections between and across grade levels, where have kids been? What knowledge are they missing? Where are they headed?

I want to commit myself to practicing and learning how to understand and speak Spanish. This feels incredibly necessary for my ability to support the populations of students in DPS that I will likely be teaching.

Teaching Philosophy Takeaways

Try to be proactive in all you do

Don't assume what kids know, because they usually know more than you think

Practice and teach empathy

Kids have different needs and will react and internalize things differently

Working backwards when planning can help set students up for success

Self-reflection and self-assessment is HUGE for teachers AND students

Each child has the capability of learning, growing, thriving, and being kind