This internship has shown me that I might want to do something in the education system. I don't know if I would like to be a full on teacher yet, but I know I wouldn't mind being a mentor or a tutor. I have never really had a drive or motivation to be in a certain career, but thanks to this internship I at least have experience in a field that I could pursue.
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I am most thankful to Mr. Perez, Mr. Castillo, and their students for allowing me to enter their classroom every day and letting me experience this internship. I have gained new found appreciation for teachers and education in general. I have learned how it can be difficult for teachers when trying to maintain the students' focus and have realized how fortunate I am to be getting this education.
The characteristic I see in teachers and students that I want is perseverance. I am very quick to give up if something is not easy, it's a very bad habit that I need to stop doing. What I saw from teachers, Mr. Perez and Mr. Castillo specifically, was that no matter how hard a student was not cooperating or paying attention, they kept their cool and tried to reason with the student. They did not give up on the student. They want these kids to succeed so they try their hardest to be as patient and have try to help them try their best.
For my IPOL I'm going to have note cards with me . I pretty much know the standard questions the will ask me, "How will you use your skills that you learned here when you finish", "Do you now know what you want to do?", etc. I remember most of the questions I and my advisory asked the juniors last year.
This internship has taught me to better understand teachers. You have to communicate with students a lot and get their perspective on the work/projects. You also have to sometimes not communicate that much and let them problem solve and be creative. I also had to communicate a lot with Mr. Perez. I had to ask for his advice on how to give a lesson, how much to show the students, etc. It's a weird balance that you have to find, it's kind of hard knowing when you need to help more or help less.
My project was to have the ASB class make videos for their "No Name-Calling Week". Mr Perez liked the idea because it's simple and it teaches the kids something that they might need in the future. I first taught the students how to make a simple "4 Things About Me" video. They had 6 clips, the intro, the facts, and the credits. When they all got a hang of how to use Windows Movie Maker, I let them create either a skit or a text/pictures only video about No Name Calling. I thought I was not going to explain how to use the program very well, but they all got it. I pretty much used the same system that teachers use in HTH. First, you give an example and do it as a class. Then, you hand it over to the students and have them work in groups, letting them make whatever they think is appropriate and fits the constraints of the project.
My schedule isn't that different because I'm interning at a school, I start and end 25 minutes earlier. My interactions are obviously different because I am not a student. It feels weird being in a classroom and having a sense of "authority" and trying to be a helpful asset to the students. As I stated in my previous blog post, this has given me a new perspective of the classroom. I know understand how difficult it is for teachers to help students maintain focus. This internship has made me want to do something to help out kids in my community get the education they deserve and need.
My experience here has shown me a new way of looking at my education. I have gotten to see the perspective of a teacher, which I think will make me a better student. I now know how hard it is for a teacher to take control of a classroom and try to teach when some kids are being a bit wild. I will now try to help the teacher and not contribute to the distractions, which will help me focus more on getting my work done instead of goofing around.
I haven't really been faced with any challenges or setbacks, nor have I seen my mentor struggling.
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