<center>Christa Dandoy's Teacher Education Portfolio

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Final Reflection II

Below you will find a final reflection over my 27 hours of service learning this semester. Everytime I complete field experience I learn more about my varying strengths and weaknesses, allowing me to make goals for the future.

Using the Try-Angle

“In math you use many angles, but always use the try-angle.” This quotation describes what I learned during my math service learning this semester as I was at the Chandler Boys & Girls Club and in the resource classroom at Highland High School. At both of these sites I gained more insight into the field of education and became more aware of my strengths. The experiences I have had in the classroom this semester have shown me areas that I demonstrated growth in and the areas that I still need to improve.

Active Participant

This semester I was a more active participant during classroom activities. The students made me feel like a teacher, allowing me to have more confidence to jump right into various teaching situations. I worked daily one-on-one with a boy named Clint. We focused on using a calculator, counting to ten, and adding low, single-digit numbers. At times I would begin to lose patience because he would lose focus after completing only a few problems on the worksheet. After checking with the teacher, Mrs. F, I created my own reward system for Clint. He loved Nintendo Game Boy, so I allowed him to play a game of Super Marion after he completed his math. This made him work faster and a lot better than the teacher had ever seen before. I was glad to know that I was involved enough to have designed a method that worked for the teacher and for Clint. By the time I left this class, he had learned all his numbers up to ten, could work the addition sign on the calculator, and could add a few digits without the use of the calculator. I was glad to know I was making a difference in his life because I was engaging in the mathematical activities without hesitation. In the future, I want to continue to be an integral part of the classroom as I take more initiative to work with the students.

Ask Questions to Gain Insight

I had numerous discussions with the teacher during the time I was at Highland High School because she made me feel very welcomed and comfortable. I felt like I could ask her questions to help me gain more understanding about math for exceptional needs students. She explained to me how the students stay in her class until they are twenty-two years old. This class provides them with skills they need to succeed in varying aspects of the real world. I enjoyed working with the students on their real-life applications: cooking, looking up the weather, and pricing objects. Cooking allowed the students to perform math, such as fractions and adding, to follow the recipe correctly. The students learned about temperature and how to read charts by looking at the weather section. They also looked through the newspaper to find sales before they pretended to buy flowers and chocolates for Valentine’s Day. I thought it was great the Mrs. F was teaching the material through real-life situations. I am glad that I had courage to communicate with my mentor-teacher the questions I had, and I am going to continue to have discussions with future educators I come into contact with.

Connections to Course Content

At the Chandler Boys & Girls Club, I had the opportunity to work with a girl on a computer program called Math Blaster, allowing me to connect course information from my education courses to service learning. I was taught in my math course how to incorporate technology in the curriculum to reinforce math concepts. This game was an exciting, fast paced learning tool that gives the user playing it an opportunity to review basic addition and subtraction skills. It was great seeing the girl who was using it enjoying math, and it helped me better realize the importance of computers in the classroom.

Trying is Better Than Nothing

I enjoyed the experiences I had at the Chandler Boys & Girls Club and in the resource classroom at Highland High School. I became aware of the strengths I possess, but I know that there are still areas that I need to work on. I need to make more connections between the community, the district, and my school placement because this can better help me to differentiate from what is beyond a teacher’s control. I also want to ask the teacher if I can present a lesson to the class, instead of teaching the lessons she has already prepared. Lastly, I need to work on my classroom management skills. I want to have more self-confidence in myself to discipline students if they are causing problems. I can not always rely upon others to control the students for me. These are my goals for future service learning placements, but I will still examine myself for other areas I can improve. I am looking forward to completing service learning again, hopefully to continue my personal growth and to apply what I have already learned into classroom settings. I will always try to be better because as Lloyd James once stated, “The people who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.”

*Graphics

Math Blaster graphic from the website: www.amazon.com

Photo of myself from personal collection

All other graphics from Microsoft Office Clip Art

Author: Christa Dandoy
Last modified: 12/16/2006 3:03 PM (EST)

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<center><font color=purple>Christa Dandoy's Teacher Education Portfolio

Final Reflection II

<font color = purple>Active Participant

<font color = purple>Ask Questions to Gain Insight

<font color = purple>Connections to Course Content

<font color = purple>Trying is Better Than Nothing