As is the norm, I had two placements for student teaching.
(Although I had had several different placements in many different grades,
called “practicums,” where I would go in and help, kind of like an aide, as
educational work experience).
For student teaching, my first placement was at Adam’s
Elementary School in Rexburg. I was placed in a Kindergarten classroom with a
teacher named Donna Sanford. Kindergarten was half day, so we got to plan a
half day and do it twice. While I was there, we worked on getting the kids
ready for a patriotic music and dancing program for the parents, and it was really
fun to see that come together.
Two things I learned in that classroom really stand out to
me. First, we were having snack one day and a little girl asked me to open her
little bag of crackers, or whatever it was they were eating. So I reached down
and got ready to open it for her, when the teacher said the girl’s name, and
then asked, “If you are having trouble opening your wrapper, what can you do?”
The girl thought for a minute, and then reached for her scissors and opened her
snack. !!! It seems so glaringly obvious, but what a way to help the kids learn
problem solving skills. That was my first ever experience with that. To this
day I still struggle a little bit with letting kids do things on their own. I
tend to involve myself and my help way too much. I try to be mindful of that
and back off as much as I can, because I know it is good for them to figure
things out and solve their own problems as much as they can. I don’t know why I
always want to just swoop in and take care of everything. I need to remember
this experience in Kindergarten more often.
The other thing was that I was assigned to teach a lesson on
fractions. Uuum, in Kindergarten? So I made up a story about pizza, and sharing
a whole pizza with different numbers of friends, and 20 minutes later the kids
totally understood whole, half, thirds and fourths. I was blown away. What I
learned—never underestimate the power of what kids can learn.
My second placement was in 7th grade English,
taught by Terrie McRae. Her husband happened to be on the bishopric in my ward,
so I thought that was pretty cool. This placement was a lot of fun. Maybe it
was math. I think I remember teaching both. ? Not sure. Maybe it was math, and
I am remembering some English too, because my placement in that class was
during the time of their Renaissance Faire. Actually, most of the time it was
prepping for it, and then toward the end was the actual faire. So I taught some
math, but we also talked a lot about Shakespeare. The kids were doing a play,
and rehearsed relentlessly for that. My job for the faire was the Punch and
Judy show. I had to make all the paper mache puppets, and get my little group
ready to put on the show. We also had to make the puppet theater that they
would use.
I did have a great time in that placement, and quite enjoyed
the older kids. I don’t think I had any
earth shattering lessons in that placement, but it was a good, good experience.
The Renaissance Faire
Here is the Punch and Judy show that I was in charge of:
My Puppets!
Renaissance Musicians
Tired!
The Play
Something Shakespeare, although I can't remember which.
