Blog #1 - My Workplace
October 11, 2011
My workplace is called Bollinger Canyon Elementary school and it is a public school that teaches grades kinder through fifth (in San Ramon, students start middle school in sixth grade)`. About 500 students attend Bollinger Canyon, so I would consider it a medium-sized business. This school is located in San Ramon and it's double the size of Impact Academy! I love the environment because the classrooms are so spacious, clean, and full of life. I don't have an exact number of how many people work there but there are about the same amount of teachers at Bollinger as there are at Impact Academy. A majority of them are females and so far, the only male I know that works at Bollinger is my uncle! My workplace is pretty open to interns, but I'm the first to come all the way from Hayward. They hire people with a teacher's degree, but my mentor and the rest of the special ed teachers/speech therapists have a credential in special education. My mentor also told me that there are three specific types of special ed credentials; some have a specialty in teaching younger kids with minor autism and others in people with more disabilities. I work in the preschool classroom at Bollinger and we teach kids from ages 3-4 the basic concepts such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors. We also teach them how to keep their things organized such as hanging their backpacks and jackets, how to act in a classroom environment with peers, table manners and how to clean up after themselves. A majority of the time, we're working with the kids individually because they each have their own special needs (some students have OCD, trouble making eye contact, controlling tempers/tantrums, and speaking). There isn't much diversity in Bollinger as I thought there would be. However, I love how everybody that works with me has a great sense of humor and is very welcoming; they couldn't be any sweeter. Sometimes they act like teenagers themselves in their free time!
My workplace is called Bollinger Canyon Elementary school and it is a public school that teaches grades kinder through fifth (in San Ramon, students start middle school in sixth grade)`. About 500 students attend Bollinger Canyon, so I would consider it a medium-sized business. This school is located in San Ramon and it's double the size of Impact Academy! I love the environment because the classrooms are so spacious, clean, and full of life. I don't have an exact number of how many people work there but there are about the same amount of teachers at Bollinger as there are at Impact Academy. A majority of them are females and so far, the only male I know that works at Bollinger is my uncle! My workplace is pretty open to interns, but I'm the first to come all the way from Hayward. They hire people with a teacher's degree, but my mentor and the rest of the special ed teachers/speech therapists have a credential in special education. My mentor also told me that there are three specific types of special ed credentials; some have a specialty in teaching younger kids with minor autism and others in people with more disabilities. I work in the preschool classroom at Bollinger and we teach kids from ages 3-4 the basic concepts such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors. We also teach them how to keep their things organized such as hanging their backpacks and jackets, how to act in a classroom environment with peers, table manners and how to clean up after themselves. A majority of the time, we're working with the kids individually because they each have their own special needs (some students have OCD, trouble making eye contact, controlling tempers/tantrums, and speaking). There isn't much diversity in Bollinger as I thought there would be. However, I love how everybody that works with me has a great sense of humor and is very welcoming; they couldn't be any sweeter. Sometimes they act like teenagers themselves in their free time!
Blog #2 - My Mentor
October 18, 2011
My mentor's name is Elizabeth (Beth) Wheeler and she is a preschool teacher at Bollinger Elementary School, which is located in San Ramon. All of the students call their teachers by their first name, but with the "teacher" before their name. So, everyone refers to my mentor as "Teacher Beth." She teaches children from ages 3-4 that have some special needs. Since preschool hours last up to four hours, there is a morning teacher for the first class and an afternoon teacher for the second. Teacher Beth is my mentor but I also intern for Teacher Marisa, who is the afternoon preschool teacher. Teacher Beth has a pretty routine day everyday: The kids gather in a circle and read books while one student goes through an obstacle course at a time. Then there's circle time, where we welcome each other, sing songs, read books and talk about the weather. After about thirty minutes of circle time, each student goes to a center. There are usually five teachers/helpers in a room (including myself) who each run their own centers with the students. Each student is distributed among the centers and there are usually 1-2 students per table so that the teacher can really give them the individual attention that they need, considering the fact that each of them have their own special needs (e.g. some students are speech-impaired, have OCD, etc). The center activities vary; we focus on grip, identifying genders, colors, animals [and the sounds they make], painting, coloring, drawing, gluing, etc. Next is their snack time, where they practice using table manners, asking for food properly, and cleaning up after themselves. They must excuse themselves in order to go out to play on the play structures. After about thirty minutes of releasing all their energy outside, the kids then gather in another circle, but with different activities that focus on the same things. Lastly, we say our goodbyes and pack up. My mentor, the rest of the teachers, and I escort the students to their school buses and the routine starts all over again with the afternoon class. This is what my mentor does daily, but of course with different activities. Although we do pretty much the same things, we never get bored because the children are so entertaining and full of energy! During the interview, I asked Teacher Beth what she enjoyed most about her job. She replied with an answer of "simply, just working with kids is the best part of my job." This is why she was interested in working in this field, but because her students are different from the average preschooler, Teacher Beth had to get a special credential in special education). There are several different levels of special ed credentials, but Teacher Beth specializes in working with special ed children. Teachers like her are required to have a college education and also has to have the skills of patience, understanding and kindness, especially because young students liker hers aren't always the easiest to control.
My mentor's name is Elizabeth (Beth) Wheeler and she is a preschool teacher at Bollinger Elementary School, which is located in San Ramon. All of the students call their teachers by their first name, but with the "teacher" before their name. So, everyone refers to my mentor as "Teacher Beth." She teaches children from ages 3-4 that have some special needs. Since preschool hours last up to four hours, there is a morning teacher for the first class and an afternoon teacher for the second. Teacher Beth is my mentor but I also intern for Teacher Marisa, who is the afternoon preschool teacher. Teacher Beth has a pretty routine day everyday: The kids gather in a circle and read books while one student goes through an obstacle course at a time. Then there's circle time, where we welcome each other, sing songs, read books and talk about the weather. After about thirty minutes of circle time, each student goes to a center. There are usually five teachers/helpers in a room (including myself) who each run their own centers with the students. Each student is distributed among the centers and there are usually 1-2 students per table so that the teacher can really give them the individual attention that they need, considering the fact that each of them have their own special needs (e.g. some students are speech-impaired, have OCD, etc). The center activities vary; we focus on grip, identifying genders, colors, animals [and the sounds they make], painting, coloring, drawing, gluing, etc. Next is their snack time, where they practice using table manners, asking for food properly, and cleaning up after themselves. They must excuse themselves in order to go out to play on the play structures. After about thirty minutes of releasing all their energy outside, the kids then gather in another circle, but with different activities that focus on the same things. Lastly, we say our goodbyes and pack up. My mentor, the rest of the teachers, and I escort the students to their school buses and the routine starts all over again with the afternoon class. This is what my mentor does daily, but of course with different activities. Although we do pretty much the same things, we never get bored because the children are so entertaining and full of energy! During the interview, I asked Teacher Beth what she enjoyed most about her job. She replied with an answer of "simply, just working with kids is the best part of my job." This is why she was interested in working in this field, but because her students are different from the average preschooler, Teacher Beth had to get a special credential in special education). There are several different levels of special ed credentials, but Teacher Beth specializes in working with special ed children. Teachers like her are required to have a college education and also has to have the skills of patience, understanding and kindness, especially because young students liker hers aren't always the easiest to control.
Blog #3 - My Role
October 25, 2011
At Bollinger Elementary School, every student refers to each other as "friend" whereas students and teachers call other teachers by their first name, like I mentioned last time. For example, my mentor is referred to as "Teacher Beth" and the students and other teachers call me "Teacher Camille." I'm pretty much another teacher/helper and I take on the same role as all the other teachers that work in the same classroom as me. I don't necessarily have a main responsibility, but a variety of responsibilities such as helping the students put their belongings away on the hooks, reading books to them during circle time, leading and guiding them in the centers, helping them take out/put away their food, watching over them during playtime/outside time, and escorting them from the classroom to the school bus at the end of the day. This routine starts all over again for the afternoon class. During center time, there are activities such as arts and crafts, matching objects, identifying animals/people, tracing/drawing, and counting. I simply just ask the students questions and guide them in their activities. I work with one or two students at a time while the other teachers each have students of their own. Teacher Beth and Teacher Marisa have the same routine every single day, but they alternate the books they read to the students everyday. Also, the activities vary, depending on what season it is or what holidays are coming up. For example, when I started the internship in the beginning of October, the students were reading books about Halloween and doing Halloween-themed projects. During circle time, the class sang songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" where we focused on body parts. The teacher had a big spider stuffed toy and the student had to place it on a body part and name it. We also sang songs ghosts (which focused on getting the students to count) and pumpkin songs (which focused on naming colors). For the centers, the kids worked on art projects where they decorated their own little frames with pumpkins and buttons. They came out to be super cute! For the month of November, we're going to start on Thanksgiving activities and I can't wait to put a project together for the kids!
At Bollinger Elementary School, every student refers to each other as "friend" whereas students and teachers call other teachers by their first name, like I mentioned last time. For example, my mentor is referred to as "Teacher Beth" and the students and other teachers call me "Teacher Camille." I'm pretty much another teacher/helper and I take on the same role as all the other teachers that work in the same classroom as me. I don't necessarily have a main responsibility, but a variety of responsibilities such as helping the students put their belongings away on the hooks, reading books to them during circle time, leading and guiding them in the centers, helping them take out/put away their food, watching over them during playtime/outside time, and escorting them from the classroom to the school bus at the end of the day. This routine starts all over again for the afternoon class. During center time, there are activities such as arts and crafts, matching objects, identifying animals/people, tracing/drawing, and counting. I simply just ask the students questions and guide them in their activities. I work with one or two students at a time while the other teachers each have students of their own. Teacher Beth and Teacher Marisa have the same routine every single day, but they alternate the books they read to the students everyday. Also, the activities vary, depending on what season it is or what holidays are coming up. For example, when I started the internship in the beginning of October, the students were reading books about Halloween and doing Halloween-themed projects. During circle time, the class sang songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" where we focused on body parts. The teacher had a big spider stuffed toy and the student had to place it on a body part and name it. We also sang songs ghosts (which focused on getting the students to count) and pumpkin songs (which focused on naming colors). For the centers, the kids worked on art projects where they decorated their own little frames with pumpkins and buttons. They came out to be super cute! For the month of November, we're going to start on Thanksgiving activities and I can't wait to put a project together for the kids!
Blog #4 - Project Brainstorm
November 1, 2011
After much observation in the classroom and getting into vibe of things, I am thinking of making a little center activity for the children. Since the teachers plan different themed projects every month to fit the holiday/season, I might make an activity that has to do with autumn and Thanksgiving. Specifically, I might take pictures of different foods and in the activity, I'll ask the kids to match the foods, or ask them what the food is called. I might also desribe the food, and ask them to guess which food I'm talking about. I came up with this idea because I've seen that this method of teaching is really effective and a majority of the center activities are run this way. In one past center activity, the teacher said, "Which animal gives us milk, is black and white, and says "Moo?'" The kids really enjoy doing this and from my experiences as a little kid, visual learning helped me the most. I am excited to do this project for the next few weeks because it gives me a chance to really work with the kids one-on-one and take on a real teacher role. I've facilitated a center activity on my own before, but the projects were created by the teachers. I'm looking forward to actually creating my own lesson for the kids this time! For the next three to four weeks, I will talk start off by talking to Teacher Beth, my mentor, and asking which cirriculum I need to follow and ask whether the activity I planned is appropriate with the lessons she wants the students to learn. Once we've agreed on a fun, little activity to make for the kids, I'll gather all the materials. I could start to draw out the pictures, and for the project that I have in mind, I could laminate the pictures. From this project, I'm hoping that the kids learn the basics about Thanksgiving and what autumn is all about, just as they' ve been doing with the whole Halloween theme.
After much observation in the classroom and getting into vibe of things, I am thinking of making a little center activity for the children. Since the teachers plan different themed projects every month to fit the holiday/season, I might make an activity that has to do with autumn and Thanksgiving. Specifically, I might take pictures of different foods and in the activity, I'll ask the kids to match the foods, or ask them what the food is called. I might also desribe the food, and ask them to guess which food I'm talking about. I came up with this idea because I've seen that this method of teaching is really effective and a majority of the center activities are run this way. In one past center activity, the teacher said, "Which animal gives us milk, is black and white, and says "Moo?'" The kids really enjoy doing this and from my experiences as a little kid, visual learning helped me the most. I am excited to do this project for the next few weeks because it gives me a chance to really work with the kids one-on-one and take on a real teacher role. I've facilitated a center activity on my own before, but the projects were created by the teachers. I'm looking forward to actually creating my own lesson for the kids this time! For the next three to four weeks, I will talk start off by talking to Teacher Beth, my mentor, and asking which cirriculum I need to follow and ask whether the activity I planned is appropriate with the lessons she wants the students to learn. Once we've agreed on a fun, little activity to make for the kids, I'll gather all the materials. I could start to draw out the pictures, and for the project that I have in mind, I could laminate the pictures. From this project, I'm hoping that the kids learn the basics about Thanksgiving and what autumn is all about, just as they' ve been doing with the whole Halloween theme.
Blog #5 - Progress on my WLE Project, part 1
November 8, 2011
Today, at my internship, I did pretty much the same things as any other day at Bollinger Elementary. The main tasks that I accomplished were facilitating a center by helping the students participate in activities, watching over the students during snack time and outside play time, and helping the students engage during circle time and language group time. Since we are in the month of November now, all of the books we are reading, the songs we are singing, and the activities we are completing has something to do with the theme of autumn and Thanksgiving. The most enjoyable thing that I did today was play with shaving cream during the center time. This activity gave the students a chance to say "more please." Whenever the students asked this, I would give them some more shaving cream. Then the students spread the shaving cream all around the table and we drew shapes and pictures in it. After I escorted the students back to the bus at the end of the school day, I talked to Teacher Beth regarding my WLE project. I had told her before that I specifically wanted to make an activity for center time. She asked me whether I wanted my project to take place during November, where I'd make an autumn-themed project, or in December, where I'd make a winter-themed project. I originally planned to make an activity involving food, where I'd give the students hints about the food, and they'd give me the food I was talking about. Unfortunately, during center time for the afternoon class, Teacher Shawna already had the same exact activity for the students. So, I decided to plan out a center activity that would take place in December- the week the students get back from Thanksgiving break. I will have the students paint a picture of a snowman, using circle sponges and paint and I'll also have fun, little stickers for them to decorate their pictures to make a winter scene. My project will help the students to be more familiar with different shapes and have a better understanding of what the season winter is. So far, I've only accomplished the logistics of the project, but soon I'll be gathering all of the supplies. I will also consult with Teacher Marisa, the afternoon preschool teacher, if it would be okay for her students to do the same activity during their center time.
Today, at my internship, I did pretty much the same things as any other day at Bollinger Elementary. The main tasks that I accomplished were facilitating a center by helping the students participate in activities, watching over the students during snack time and outside play time, and helping the students engage during circle time and language group time. Since we are in the month of November now, all of the books we are reading, the songs we are singing, and the activities we are completing has something to do with the theme of autumn and Thanksgiving. The most enjoyable thing that I did today was play with shaving cream during the center time. This activity gave the students a chance to say "more please." Whenever the students asked this, I would give them some more shaving cream. Then the students spread the shaving cream all around the table and we drew shapes and pictures in it. After I escorted the students back to the bus at the end of the school day, I talked to Teacher Beth regarding my WLE project. I had told her before that I specifically wanted to make an activity for center time. She asked me whether I wanted my project to take place during November, where I'd make an autumn-themed project, or in December, where I'd make a winter-themed project. I originally planned to make an activity involving food, where I'd give the students hints about the food, and they'd give me the food I was talking about. Unfortunately, during center time for the afternoon class, Teacher Shawna already had the same exact activity for the students. So, I decided to plan out a center activity that would take place in December- the week the students get back from Thanksgiving break. I will have the students paint a picture of a snowman, using circle sponges and paint and I'll also have fun, little stickers for them to decorate their pictures to make a winter scene. My project will help the students to be more familiar with different shapes and have a better understanding of what the season winter is. So far, I've only accomplished the logistics of the project, but soon I'll be gathering all of the supplies. I will also consult with Teacher Marisa, the afternoon preschool teacher, if it would be okay for her students to do the same activity during their center time.
Blog #6 - Leadership Skills
November 15, 2011
The Leadership Skill I use the most while working with the preschool students is Collaborating Productively. I find myself implementing and encouraging the students to engage in their group work and circle time every time I am at my internship. This is my main goal: to ensure that the students are building a character in which they can collaborate with their peers. Whether I am sitting along the sides during circle time with the entire group of students or leading a center activity with a student individually, I am always collaborating productively. I collaborate with the teachers by taking on different roles to make sure that the classroom is functioning properly. I collaborate with my mentor to ask for any clarification to ensure that I can do my best as the students' teacher, too. Collaborating productively is a big factor in doing a successful job at my internship because it requires constant communication and teamwork. Although I feel like I already do a good enough job of collaborating productively and don't need much improvement, I feel like I need to improve more on the leadership skills of Communicating Powerfully and Completing Projects Effectively. I could have communicated more powerfully by addressing the hours requirement for WLE personally with my mentor instead of having my uncle do it for me because it was my responsibility, not his. I also could have done a better job of completing projects effectively by planning my WLE project earlier and gathering the materials earlier instead of waiting last minute to do so. My mentor uses the Leadership Skill Communicate Powerfully the most because she is constantly emailing and writing notes to the students' parents to discuss their progress and behavior in the classroom. She also uses different strategies such as sign language, songs, and pictures to convey meaning and make sure the students understand certain concepts.
The Leadership Skill I use the most while working with the preschool students is Collaborating Productively. I find myself implementing and encouraging the students to engage in their group work and circle time every time I am at my internship. This is my main goal: to ensure that the students are building a character in which they can collaborate with their peers. Whether I am sitting along the sides during circle time with the entire group of students or leading a center activity with a student individually, I am always collaborating productively. I collaborate with the teachers by taking on different roles to make sure that the classroom is functioning properly. I collaborate with my mentor to ask for any clarification to ensure that I can do my best as the students' teacher, too. Collaborating productively is a big factor in doing a successful job at my internship because it requires constant communication and teamwork. Although I feel like I already do a good enough job of collaborating productively and don't need much improvement, I feel like I need to improve more on the leadership skills of Communicating Powerfully and Completing Projects Effectively. I could have communicated more powerfully by addressing the hours requirement for WLE personally with my mentor instead of having my uncle do it for me because it was my responsibility, not his. I also could have done a better job of completing projects effectively by planning my WLE project earlier and gathering the materials earlier instead of waiting last minute to do so. My mentor uses the Leadership Skill Communicate Powerfully the most because she is constantly emailing and writing notes to the students' parents to discuss their progress and behavior in the classroom. She also uses different strategies such as sign language, songs, and pictures to convey meaning and make sure the students understand certain concepts.
Blog #7 - What I Learned, Reflection
November 22, 2011
Before WLE started, I've always had an interest in being around children but never really had experience doing it. My internship at the preschool in Bollinger Elementary taught me a lot about communication, understanding, and most of all patience. With all of the stress that most students have in high school, it's really difficult to maintain patience. I learned that children as young as the students I work with are still learning to follow commands and are not as easy to control as high school students, so much patience is needed with them. Before working with these children, I thought Oh, they're only preschool students so it shouldn't be that hard, but it wasn't as easy as I thought. I know now that I don't really have an interest in working with children this young and I also don't think I want to look into teaching students.
The main challenge that I had from WLE was getting the right amount of hours in by the time the WLE period was done. I overcame this challenge by having my uncle talk to my mentor about how I could make up for the lost hours, since their Thanksgiving break would interfere with my internship hours. I also talked to my mom about it and we calculated how many extra minutes I would need to work for the remainder of the days in order to fulfill the full 75 hours.
The biggest life lesson that I learned from this experience of working with children, especially special ed students, was that every child should have equal opportunities regardless of disabilities, especially when it comes to education. Every child is capable of doing something that could even impact the world. My creativity was put to use with this activity specifically because I created an art project that my students could enjoy, but learn from at the same time. I used my interest of art and applied it to this activity to plan it out.
By me being at Bollinger Elementary every Tuesday, I contributed to my community by volunteering to lend a hand and help teach these young students. My project also helped the students with their learning. Before experiencing what it was like to work as a preschool teacher, I didn't think it was too hard to do. But now I realize that teaching children this young requires a lot of patience, preparation and planning. The teachers do not only have to plan out projects, but they have to think about how much those projects would impact their students' learning.
The most important skills that I learned from this profession is that communication is key - teachers need to communicate with students and their parents to ensure that they are providing the best for the children. Patience is the next most important skill because not all students will follow what you tell them to do immediately. It's also important to be punctual by meeting deadlines and always being prepared. Lastly, understanding is important because not all students have the same abilities and talents, so teachers have to do everything in their power to make sure that their students are all learning and have the same opportunities.
What I did at my WLE was important because for one, I contributed to my community and second, I have learned some lessons that I could definitely apply to my future years in the work world. One of those things is time constraints. I found myself slacking a lot when it came to looking for internships and contact information. Next year, I know I don't want to have to go through so much stress and have to rush over something so important. Although I came just on time to work every Tuesday, I always found myself rushing to get ready and get to work, which is not really a good feeling or a good way to start off the day. Planning out my project and gathering my materials for it has also taught me a lot about time constraints because I don't like the feeling of having everything done last minute. It really builds up a lot of stress.
Before WLE started, I've always had an interest in being around children but never really had experience doing it. My internship at the preschool in Bollinger Elementary taught me a lot about communication, understanding, and most of all patience. With all of the stress that most students have in high school, it's really difficult to maintain patience. I learned that children as young as the students I work with are still learning to follow commands and are not as easy to control as high school students, so much patience is needed with them. Before working with these children, I thought Oh, they're only preschool students so it shouldn't be that hard, but it wasn't as easy as I thought. I know now that I don't really have an interest in working with children this young and I also don't think I want to look into teaching students.
The main challenge that I had from WLE was getting the right amount of hours in by the time the WLE period was done. I overcame this challenge by having my uncle talk to my mentor about how I could make up for the lost hours, since their Thanksgiving break would interfere with my internship hours. I also talked to my mom about it and we calculated how many extra minutes I would need to work for the remainder of the days in order to fulfill the full 75 hours.
The biggest life lesson that I learned from this experience of working with children, especially special ed students, was that every child should have equal opportunities regardless of disabilities, especially when it comes to education. Every child is capable of doing something that could even impact the world. My creativity was put to use with this activity specifically because I created an art project that my students could enjoy, but learn from at the same time. I used my interest of art and applied it to this activity to plan it out.
By me being at Bollinger Elementary every Tuesday, I contributed to my community by volunteering to lend a hand and help teach these young students. My project also helped the students with their learning. Before experiencing what it was like to work as a preschool teacher, I didn't think it was too hard to do. But now I realize that teaching children this young requires a lot of patience, preparation and planning. The teachers do not only have to plan out projects, but they have to think about how much those projects would impact their students' learning.
The most important skills that I learned from this profession is that communication is key - teachers need to communicate with students and their parents to ensure that they are providing the best for the children. Patience is the next most important skill because not all students will follow what you tell them to do immediately. It's also important to be punctual by meeting deadlines and always being prepared. Lastly, understanding is important because not all students have the same abilities and talents, so teachers have to do everything in their power to make sure that their students are all learning and have the same opportunities.
What I did at my WLE was important because for one, I contributed to my community and second, I have learned some lessons that I could definitely apply to my future years in the work world. One of those things is time constraints. I found myself slacking a lot when it came to looking for internships and contact information. Next year, I know I don't want to have to go through so much stress and have to rush over something so important. Although I came just on time to work every Tuesday, I always found myself rushing to get ready and get to work, which is not really a good feeling or a good way to start off the day. Planning out my project and gathering my materials for it has also taught me a lot about time constraints because I don't like the feeling of having everything done last minute. It really builds up a lot of stress.
Blog #8 - Professionalism
November 29, 2011
Looking for and actually getting an internship was pretty laborious. In order to find one, I first had to look up possible places to intern at on the internet and through family members/friends and then gather all contact information. After gathering at least 10 businesses' contact information, I wrote a self-introduction that I would use as a script through the phone and a template of what I would email to businesses to ask for an internship. Throughout this whole process, I had to maintain professionalism to have a better chance of getting an internship.
The most effective way of looking for a job is knowing what your best interests are. The more you know what your interests are, the better the chance of you finding a job that you would really enjoy and be dedicated to. Just like how I had to find an internship, I had to maintain professionalism. This is key to getting hired because if you are not professional and respectful when it comes to talking to someone who could possibly hire you, you won't set a good impression and odds are, you're most likely not going to get hired. You also need to show that you have the skills to be good in a specific profession because it takes experience and specific skills to be successful at a certain thing.
As a result of my WLE, I think being a professional or a responsible adult in the work world means being punctual and prepared, communicating well/respectfully with peers, taking responsibility instead of leaving it up to others to do, and having self-control and taking appropriate actions. Nobody wants to hire someone who always shows up late to work and is unprepared/disorganized, so it's important to really stay on top of things. Communication is also a big factor to being professional in the work world - this includes using very sophisticated and appropriate language. If something is left undone, you need to take full on responsibility to get it done instead of leaving it up to others to fix your mistakes. Lastly, when it comes to disagreements with peers, you have to remain professional by maintaining self-control and taking appropriate actions by simply talking things out, compromising, or coming to a consensus.
Looking for and actually getting an internship was pretty laborious. In order to find one, I first had to look up possible places to intern at on the internet and through family members/friends and then gather all contact information. After gathering at least 10 businesses' contact information, I wrote a self-introduction that I would use as a script through the phone and a template of what I would email to businesses to ask for an internship. Throughout this whole process, I had to maintain professionalism to have a better chance of getting an internship.
The most effective way of looking for a job is knowing what your best interests are. The more you know what your interests are, the better the chance of you finding a job that you would really enjoy and be dedicated to. Just like how I had to find an internship, I had to maintain professionalism. This is key to getting hired because if you are not professional and respectful when it comes to talking to someone who could possibly hire you, you won't set a good impression and odds are, you're most likely not going to get hired. You also need to show that you have the skills to be good in a specific profession because it takes experience and specific skills to be successful at a certain thing.
As a result of my WLE, I think being a professional or a responsible adult in the work world means being punctual and prepared, communicating well/respectfully with peers, taking responsibility instead of leaving it up to others to do, and having self-control and taking appropriate actions. Nobody wants to hire someone who always shows up late to work and is unprepared/disorganized, so it's important to really stay on top of things. Communication is also a big factor to being professional in the work world - this includes using very sophisticated and appropriate language. If something is left undone, you need to take full on responsibility to get it done instead of leaving it up to others to fix your mistakes. Lastly, when it comes to disagreements with peers, you have to remain professional by maintaining self-control and taking appropriate actions by simply talking things out, compromising, or coming to a consensus.
Blog #9 - My Life at WLE
December 6, 2011
Today was a typical day at Bollinger, except I actually facilitated my own center time activity for the children! First, we had Circle Time, where the students read books individually. It was cute when one of the students in the afternoon class, Andrew, asked me to sit behind him in circle time and read a book to him. After singing songs, reading books and welcoming each other to another day of school, it was Center Time. I prepared an art activity for the children as part of my WLE project where the students had to glue a paper snowman onto construction paper and use sponges and paint to make their picture colorful. While they completed this, I asked them questions like Can you please tell me what this picture is of? or What color is the snowman, what is on its head, and how many buttons does it have? or What color is the paint that you're using? or What shape is the sponge that you're painting with? Next, we went on with our regular daily routine of snack time, outside playtime, Something DIfferent, circle #2, and goodbyes.
I feel like I have improved a lot as an intern because through this experience, I have learned to communicate with people out of my age groups. There were no other teenagers working on the school campus - just elementary students and adults. It has always been a little nerve wracking to talk to adults because they are way more conservative and expect more professionalism when it comes to talking to them. Before experiencing how it was to work with children from 3-5 that I have never met before, it also made me a little nervous to communicate with them. They're so fragile and aren't as easy to talk to. I was often afraid that if I said "No" to them, they would start to throw tantrums, but I have learned more effective ways of teaching them lessons in a nice way and in a more comforting tone of voice. Bollinger - or more generally, schools - is definitely a good foundation to really start to experience life at a workplace. It's not much of a challenge, but at the same time it teaches you the basic skills to be a professional in the work world. It's also a great foundation to start thinking about which careers I might want to take on. I always wanted to have a profession that involved working with kids, but after experiencing it at my WLE, I might want to take on something more challenging than teaching. Also, since my workplace has kids with certain disabilities, it's a great place to really see how the different methods teachers use to communicate and really teach students who don't have the same abilities as an average child would. One downside to this specific school is that there's not as much diversity there as the schools around here, but I don't think that's a huge weakness.
Today was a typical day at Bollinger, except I actually facilitated my own center time activity for the children! First, we had Circle Time, where the students read books individually. It was cute when one of the students in the afternoon class, Andrew, asked me to sit behind him in circle time and read a book to him. After singing songs, reading books and welcoming each other to another day of school, it was Center Time. I prepared an art activity for the children as part of my WLE project where the students had to glue a paper snowman onto construction paper and use sponges and paint to make their picture colorful. While they completed this, I asked them questions like Can you please tell me what this picture is of? or What color is the snowman, what is on its head, and how many buttons does it have? or What color is the paint that you're using? or What shape is the sponge that you're painting with? Next, we went on with our regular daily routine of snack time, outside playtime, Something DIfferent, circle #2, and goodbyes.
I feel like I have improved a lot as an intern because through this experience, I have learned to communicate with people out of my age groups. There were no other teenagers working on the school campus - just elementary students and adults. It has always been a little nerve wracking to talk to adults because they are way more conservative and expect more professionalism when it comes to talking to them. Before experiencing how it was to work with children from 3-5 that I have never met before, it also made me a little nervous to communicate with them. They're so fragile and aren't as easy to talk to. I was often afraid that if I said "No" to them, they would start to throw tantrums, but I have learned more effective ways of teaching them lessons in a nice way and in a more comforting tone of voice. Bollinger - or more generally, schools - is definitely a good foundation to really start to experience life at a workplace. It's not much of a challenge, but at the same time it teaches you the basic skills to be a professional in the work world. It's also a great foundation to start thinking about which careers I might want to take on. I always wanted to have a profession that involved working with kids, but after experiencing it at my WLE, I might want to take on something more challenging than teaching. Also, since my workplace has kids with certain disabilities, it's a great place to really see how the different methods teachers use to communicate and really teach students who don't have the same abilities as an average child would. One downside to this specific school is that there's not as much diversity there as the schools around here, but I don't think that's a huge weakness.
Blog #10 - The End
December 13, 2011
Like I mentioned before, I definitely think that my WLE is a great starting point to really think about which professions I might be interested in and it's a great way to learn the basic skills of being a professional in the work world. The experience opened my eyes to what my real interests were and helped me understand what I might and might not be interested in taking on as a career. This WLE will definitely affect the internship I choose next year, because now that i have experienced what it's like to work with children this young, I might not really want to teach children of their age group, but I'd definitely be willing to study the minds of children their age (since I might want to take on psychology or sociology). Also, the lesson that I learned about time constraints has really stuck to me. As a result, I have already started looking for possible internships and might also have an internship at an architecture business in San Francisco. Not many students have the opportunity to not go to school every Tuesday and work wherever they please so overall, it has just been an amazing experience to have.
Like I mentioned before, I definitely think that my WLE is a great starting point to really think about which professions I might be interested in and it's a great way to learn the basic skills of being a professional in the work world. The experience opened my eyes to what my real interests were and helped me understand what I might and might not be interested in taking on as a career. This WLE will definitely affect the internship I choose next year, because now that i have experienced what it's like to work with children this young, I might not really want to teach children of their age group, but I'd definitely be willing to study the minds of children their age (since I might want to take on psychology or sociology). Also, the lesson that I learned about time constraints has really stuck to me. As a result, I have already started looking for possible internships and might also have an internship at an architecture business in San Francisco. Not many students have the opportunity to not go to school every Tuesday and work wherever they please so overall, it has just been an amazing experience to have.
