Educational Experiences

I had my first field experience my freshman year. From the very first day, I knew teaching was something that I would want to do; I foresaw myself teaching for the rest of my life. I was with a fourth grade class at Hanover Elementary for this experience and it was something I would never forget. The students of the classroom were great! They were so motivated to learn and it made the experience worth wild for me.

My second field experience was a little different. I was with second grade at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, a more urban setting. This classroom was an open concept classroom which was different than anything that I have ever experienced. I felt the students had trouble focusing during their time in the classroom and it was also when I was first introduced to IEPs. It was an eye opening experience, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it!

My third field experience was with a learning support teacher at Asa Packer Middle School. I worked closely with two second grade students who had ADHD; they challenged me very frequently, but at the end of the experience I noticed that they actually started to appreciate me being there. They told me on the last day that they really enjoyed working with me, that I made the lessons fun for them. That meant a lot to me.

Currently, I am working in First Grade at Saucon Valley Elementary School in my pre-student teaching experience. The classroom environment is unlike anything else that I have ever experienced. The makeup of the classroom is 50 percent of regular education students and 50 percent of students who have IEPs. Everything in this classroom is differentiated, the quizzes, the tests, and the homework. It has really opened my eyes to some real experiences that I will have as a teacher. My co-operating teacher has taught me a lot about the everyday experiences of a classroom.