My+Experiences

=Experience: = = = =Through my courses at the University of Akron, I have been given several opportunities to work with students. While doing field work I was able to work with whole classrooms, while I did my student teaching as well as being given the chance to work with students on an individual level. I have worked with small groups of students at one time because they needed a little extra attention and specialized lesson plans. I have also had the opportunity to work with students one on one when I worked as a peer mentor to a middle school student as well as a tutoring an elementary student. My work with students in a classroom has prepared me for the everyday routine of a school and how the children work through a school day. In my student teaching, I had the pleasure of working with two very skilled cooperating teachers. They were able to show me how a classroom worked by modeling how they run a classroom and also by giving constructive feedback to me when I took over their classroom. They were able to show me the inner workings of a school and how the behind the scenes things get accomplished. =

=In addition to the work I have done inside the classroom as part of my formal training, I have also taken it upon myself to work with students and children outside the classroom. For the 2012 summer I worked as a summer resident counselor in which I lived with children ranging from about 6-15 years old. I worked with children in small groups and was able to be physically active with the children. I worked with them in activities such as swimming, boating, ropes courses, rock wall climbing, nature, arts and crafts, archery, BB guns and general tag games throughout the summer. In working with children in an outdoor environment, I was able to earn a greater understanding of how children act and behave at different ages. Working with children on a more personal level that wasn't aimed at specific objectives let me to talk with the children and learn more about what they need at various stages of development. = = = =The following summer, 2013, I worked as the Camp Mid Director for the Paul and Carol David YMCA. Before camp, it was my job to plan the daily activities that the children would participate in. I enjoyed working closely with middle age children and working with them on different projects. We took field trips at least once a week to off-site locations such as the Stark County Humane Society, Petting Zoo, Akron Zoo, Miniature Golf and several other trips. We worked on projects in house that included science projects and projects to inspire their creativity. While it was a stressful summer, planning several weeks of camp, I would not trade the experiences I was able to gain. = = = =I have continued my love of working with children as a 5th grade teacher for Canton College Preparatory School. Here I have had the chance to work with students that came in well under the grade level they were supposed to be on. With added supports in place, and using collaboration, I have been able to help bridge the achievement gap for these students. = = = =While the experience has been rewarding and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with these students, I am still searching for my middle school home. I would prefer to work with older students and be able to focus more in depth on one subject (such as math or social studies). I hope to one day find my home in a school where i can watch the students grow year by year. = = =