They say that home is where the heart is. After my last service learning experience, I know that my heart is definitely set on teaching. Education is my home, and with every new experience in a classroom, I know that I am one step closer to my goal of becoming a teacher.

This semester, I was given a wonderful opportunity to perform service learning at St. Anne Little Flower Montessori School. This experience was very special to me, because I had always been curious about the private school system, with a particular curiosity towards Catholic schools. It turned out to be a very rewarding experience for me in many ways. Never before had I become so attached to a group of students or been as involved in a classroom. Because of the Montessori style of learning that occurred in this class, I was able to experience different situations that lent themselves to my service. I was also able to observe some fantastic classroom management situations, due to the minimum amount of teacher intervention in the students’ learning.

While I was at St. Anne’s, I was able to work one-on-one with individual students. I quickly became aware of their very hands-on approach to learning. Most of the work I helped them with focused on math. I loved this, because I am always open to new ideas that will make math enjoyable for my future students. I spent a lot of time working with a little girl named Brianna*. She was a very bright student who taught me how to play all the math activities that she used when practicing both new and familiar math concepts. For example, she taught me how to use a flat bead frame to add big numbers. I also “learned” to divide using a math activity with pieces that represented people. My job as a player was to divide large sums of money to the players equally, and then write down how much I had left over. One of my favorite math memories of my time there, however, occurred with a boy named Mark*. One morning, Mark asked me to quiz him with some division flashcards. While I was quizzing him, I noticed that he was having difficulty dividing, especially with his 9’s. Time after time, I tried to explain to him how simple it was if you just counted by 9 in your head and kept track on your fingers, but he didn’t seem to understand. Finally, I decided to teach him the 9’s multiplication trick on his fingers, and after a few practice trials, he mastered it. Later that day I learned through one of the teachers that he had grabbed the wrong assignment. I had helped him successfully complete an assignment well above his grade level.

One of the best things about my experience was that I was fortunate enough to be placed in a class with two teachers. This was great because I was able to see the differences in their discipline strategies and how the children reacted to them in different situations. One of the things I found absolutely fascinating, was that each one of them had their own re-focus technique that worked differently in different situations. Mrs. Jane*, used the phrase, “Ladies and gentlemen.” The second the students heard her say these words, they knew she needed their attention and they needed to stop what they were doing. Mrs. Eva* on the other hand, used a musical triangle as a signal that she had something to say and she needed their undivided attention.

Ironically, my favorite experience at St. Anne’s happened after my required hours were over. During my last few days in the class, I had the opportunity to help the class rehearse their play. All the students in the class had put their brains together, and wrote a play called Lost on Adventure Island, and were going to perform it for the entire school and their parents. The last rehearsal was on my last day of service learning, but because the children and I became so attached, they made me promise I would come and watch them perform. I really enjoyed watching their performance, and was so proud of their hard work. More than anything, it felt great to know that I had contributed and how important it was for them that I be present.

With every new service learning experience, I find myself becoming more and more comfortable with my future role as a teacher. The knowledge I have gained in this, and every other classroom I have been in so far, will stay with me forever. I have learned so much from all my mentor teachers and as I look back at all I have learned, I realize how much I have grown as an individual, and how far along I have come in my journey towards becoming an educator. If home is where the heart is, I’d say I’m within a mile of home.

*All names have been changed.