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I had the pleasure to complete fifteen hours in a math setting this semester. This reflection discusses how I feel service learning has improved me as a teacher, and shows the goals I have made for when I participate in field experience in the future.
I Already Am A Teacher
I had the pleasure to complete my math service learning in an 8th grade classroom at
At the junior high level, I observed the same lesson being taught hour after hour. I already knew the material and thought about asking to teach, but never had the courage because I did not feel I was ready. However, one day my mentor teacher was absent, so there were various substitutes throughout the school day, but quite a few were not familiar with the math topics that needed to be taught to the students. I could see how the students were struggling with understanding the material, so I jumped right in and started explaining the concepts about bases and exponents. I was excited to see the children comprehending the material, and I realized that I was already a teacher in their eyes. I already had the skills and knowledge, and now I have the self-confidence to become a more active participant at my service learning sites.
I noticed that my mentor teacher wasted precious time because she did not have her lengthy example problems written out before class, and she worried about the little things, like missing her highlighters. Valuable time could have been focused on making sure the students understood the math concepts, but instead was used ineffectively. I learned I am already one step ahead of her because I am organized, and always prepared for my college classes. I know that having these skills now, will help me make sure my future students are the center of my class. When I perform service learning again, I will observe how other teachers manage their time to produce an effective classroom.
As I am preparing for my Elementary Education degree, I will continue to enjoy all the opportunities I receive to be in a classroom for service learning. I know that there are areas I need to work on, such as seeking more guidance from my mentor teacher, improving my knowledge about mathematics, and realizing there are different methods to achieving solutions. I will continue to become aware of the areas I can improve in, and I will continue to make new goals for each classroom I enter. A quotation by the educator Benjamin E. Mays, wonderfully describes the importance of having these goals, "The tragedy of life doesn't lie on not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." I will always have goals because I am a teacher, and I will never stop reaching those goals because I am always serving, learning, and strengthening myself.
*Name has been changed
*Graphics
Teacher graphics from Microsoft Office Clip Art
Clock graphic from the website: http://www.nccsc.k12.in.us/kswoveland/Schedule.htm
Goals graphic from the website: http://wasatch.slc.k12.ut.us/lane/goals.htm
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