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Kay K. Carter - Kalamazoo Christian
Since I am seeking a secondary education teaching certificate in Family and Consumer Sciences with a minor in Communication, my observations were done in both Life Management and Speech classrooms. Both of these classrooms are at Kalamazoo Christian High School, on the corner of Howard St. and Stadium Drive. The fact that my daughter attends this school and its proximity to WMU made this a very attractive place to do my observations.
Two hours per week of my time was spent in a "Consumer Economics" class. The students were learning about maintaining banking accounts and about the use of credit. They also worked in teams of three on a statewide stock market simulation game. I spent another two hours per week in a "Foods I" class. I got to observe this class of 15 freshmen to seniors in many cooking labs, which was enjoyable. I taught a class on using an Internet Nutritional Analysis Tool to evaluated one day’s record of food intake. My remaining two hours a week were spent in a sophomore level "Public Speaking" class. I heard many speeches of appreciation and persuasion. Since this was a lively and thoughtful class, it was a surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable experience.
Kristin Garwick - Huss Academy
I completed my observation hours at Huss Academy, an alternative high school in Three Rivers. This school is a school-of choice building, where kids make the decision to come. The majority of the students that attend this school are at-risk. We have teenage moms, kids that have dropped out in the past and are now coming back, and students that require one-on-one attention in the classroom. Since St. Joseph County does have the school-of-choice option, many students simply choose to come because they do not fit into the traditional classroom setting of 30 students. They have made the move to Huss because of smaller classroom sizes, and a more relaxed environment.
This is my fourth year teaching at Huss Academy. I currently teach keyboarding, computer applications, and reading enrichment. I have been through many situations in the years that I have been there. Students at the school require special attention that has been lacking throughout their lives. Though our discipline system is very strict, I treat each situation differently and have found that many times just talking to a student and pointing out why something is wrong is the best way to handle a situation. The majority of the students have had no guidance in their lives, and many do not really know what is appropriate or inappropriate. I have run into many different situations the past four years, but the one thing that I have learned is that these kids are just like all of the others; the majority of them want to learn and have a desire to succeed. The key is discovering the way to open their minds and convince them that they can.
Tracy Miller - Loy Norrix
My name is Tracy Miller and I am a Secondary Business Major/Communication Minor. I am currently pre-interning at Loy Norrix High School with a wonderful Business Teacher. I have been able to assist in a variety of situations and on many assignments. I have had numerous positive and rewarding interaction experiences with the students during classroom instruction.
During one classroom management observation the atmosphere was one in which induced learning and opened up doors for inquiry and creativity. The instructor walked around the class making sure the students were on task. The instructor had instructions written on the board for students to follow.
I have always been glad to be part of the instruction in this class. Students help other students and take pride in knowing what they are doing. The instructor encourages everyone to part take in their learning and in others. This in return boosts self-esteem and inspires students to achieve.
During the class period, several students raised their hands for assistance. As I was assisting some of the students, I noticed a student getting up to help as well. I slowed down before I got to the next student so that I could observe the other student offering assistance.
Some of the questions students had were pretty challenging. One student was not able to help so he asked me to assist him in assisting the student. I found that to be quite interesting. Instead of me just assisting the student, I walked the other student the steps in assisting the student. The student assisting thanked me. The information that he learned furthered his knowledge upon helping the other students.
Sometimes helping others is not really seen as an observable characteristic. However, the act itself is observable. I watched throughout the class period the different students as well as the instructor and intern coming together as a team so that the class could move forward.
During my pre-internship I have observed many teaching methods, classroom management techniques, authentic assessments and student behaviors. This experience will strengthen my performance, adjust and level my expectations and give me more insight on student learning in my role as a teacher. I have gained a real appreciation for the people in the service of teaching and I am excited to join such a prestigious helping and caring profession.
Julie Pokryfke - South Middle School
I worked in
the Life Skills department of South Middle School, Kalamazoo, MI. for my
pre-internship observations. Sally Rice, who has been teaching Life Skills
for over twenty-seven years was my mentor teacher. The experience, to say
the least was invaluable. I can not put a price on how much I took in and
gained as a part of the experience! Not having very much experience in a
middle school class-setting, it was great to see a professional handle these 7th
grade students. I gained a lot of confidence during the time I spent with
Sally and the students. I also learned a lot of content-related
information and lesson planning skills from Sally. The kids were a great
deal of fun and I grew rather attached to them. Overall, the experience
awakened me to a middle school audience which I can feel confident about, and
resources which I will utilize in my own teaching career.
Angela Gasper - Portage Northern
My pre-internship was done with a business teacher at Portage Northern High School. This teacher has had approximately 30 years of experience. Therefore, she had a lot of wisdom to offer me. The most influential piece of wisdom that I witnessed, and gained, was to demonstrate to the students the same respect that I expect to receive from them. Another pearl of wisdom was to have fun teaching. I, also, need to learn to be flexible. It is necessary for me to be able to adjust a lesson or project to fit the current needs of the students. Overall, my pre-internship experience was a very worthwhile and beneficial experience.