Education background

1. What education courses you have taken and are currently taking this term. Which one most impacted you and why?


I have taken almost all education courses offered at USF. I am taking Social Studies, Math 2, and ESOL 3 this semester. I would say that the courses that have most impacted me so far were of course my level one internship, Reading with Dr. Hall and Teaching Science. My internship had a huge impact on me because I learned so many methods and techniques for running a classroom from my supervising teacher. She was very helpful and allowed me many opportunities to practice what I learned in my classes so far. In my Reading class Dr. Hall taught me how important it is to keep children engaged and make sure they are having fun in class because they are more likely to enjoy learning and retain the information. In my Teaching Elementary Science class I got a new perspective of how to teach science lessons and how to make them fun and engaging and hands on!



2. What teaching and other educational support experiences have you had with children (include the approximate age/grade levels). This can include teaching, tutoring, babysitting, mentoring, etc… Which one most impacted you and why?

I tutored a young girl in second grade for a year, helped her with her homework in all of her subjects and used many of the games I learned in Dr. Hall's class. I was excited to meet with her each week and use the new techniques I learned each time! I have done lots of babysitting and working in a nursery and preschool at my church and my grandma’s home daycare. I was in the ECE program in my high school where I taught lessons as an aide to preschool students every day. We had to create and teach our own lesson plans based on the topic our teacher assigned to us. I think a combination of all of these experiences led me to choose Elementary education as my major. I would say that working with ECE was the most influential in my decision to become a teacher. Working with the same group of kids everyday and seeing them grow and building those relationships was so amazing to me! I decided I want to do that for the rest of my life.



3. As you look ahead to your internship, what are your expectations? Hopes? Fears? Worst nightmares?

I expect to see a more diverse group of children than the group I had for my first internship. I expect to become more comfortable with standing in front of a classroom and being more confident in my ability to retain the attention of my students. I would love to build a lasting friendship with my Supervising Teacher so that I can always call on him or her for advice when I have my own classroom. I hope to gain some new experiences with teaching ELLS, since that is what my class is comprised of. I am nervous that my lack of ability to speak Spanish might hinder me when I am trying to teach and relate to my class.









4. Think back on all of the teachers you’ve had in your life. What teachers and what experiences stand out? List the behaviors and qualities of the best teachers you have known and explain why you think they were exceptional. Explain what they did that made them so memorable in how they taught.

I remember every teacher from elementary school, middle school teachers all blend together and high school there are about four that stand out to me as exceptional teachers. My favorite teachers are teachers I had in elementary school. Two of them were my teachers for AGP, a gifted program that I was put into in first grade. They challenged us and worked hard to make lessons interesting and fun! They were patient but I respected them both. They were also a great team. One taught math the other taught science but even as a young child I could see that they had a great professional relationship. My science teacher encouraged us to think outside the box and to enter science fairs. My math teacher taught really fun lessons and made up games to help us understand the math concepts.