Internship Paper

My dream of becoming a teacher started at a very young age. When I was in kindergarten the local paper came and interviewed several students about what they want to be when they grow up, I was quoted as saying that I want to be a teacher to help kids learn and become smart. This is still true today; I want to be able to help students succeed not only in the classroom but also in life. I feel as though what we do as teachers on a daily basis has an enormous impact on the future of our students. Students need guidance and encouragement through their learning process, I will be able to provide this to them as an educator.

The first experience that I had teaching students came in my senior year of high school. During our physics class, on Fridays we would go to the elementary school and teach science lessons to second graders. This was an amazing experience; I had so much fun with this group of kids and loved every minute that I spent with them. I also learned much from them. I learned how hard it is to teach and that carrying out a lesson can sometimes be a very difficult task. I spent eight Fridays with this group of students and learned a tremendous amount about what it is like to be a teacher. I have also spent time in North Glade Elementary School during my pre-internship. Through this experience I have been challenged every day. These students have tested me with my classroom management skills and have forced me to stand my ground on many occasions. On the other hand, these students have brought me a tremendous amount of satisfaction in what I do. There are several students that learning is difficult for, and by me being able to work with them they have been able to accomplish things they didn’t think were possible. I have been able to make connections with students who have disciplinary problems, and keep them working and on task throughout the day. I have been able to spend more personal time with these students then the teacher can on daily basis, thus getting to know the students on a person level.

I have also spent time with children in a recreational setting. I have coached third and fourth grade basketball and have helped with the hershey track and field program for elementary students. These experiences have shown me the value children get by participating in after school programs. I am a believer that after school programs are an important part of growing up. They help build confidence, self-esteem, social skills, and friendships, as well as teamwork, leadership and communication. I feel that by coaching I have made an impact on these children and I am proud to have been able to contribute to after school programs.

I feel as though I have many things that will contribute to becoming a good teacher. I am a very caring person and think about about well being of each child. I am also a very active person, I love sports and outdoors, and feel as though this will make my classroom more fun and encourage the students to want to learn. Also I have traveled much of the United States, I hope to be able to incorporate what I have seen and experienced into my social studies lesson. My experiences have prepared me to become a good teacher.

I have many philosophies on teaching. First to promote the students learning, this is why we are in school and goal number one. I will promote their learning through different of leaning styles. Some students learn differently and it is important to incorporate the multiple intelligences into every day lessons. Also I feel that it is important to include the students in their learning process, if there is a way that they prefer to learn it is important to incorporate this into my lesson. Another way that I will promote learning in my classroom is through classroom management. I think it is extremely important that school is an environment that every student can feel safe and comfortable; it is my job as a teacher to accomplish this. Another philosophy that I have is to get to know my students. By doing this I will be able to relate my lessons to them and they will be able to get the most out of what I am teaching them. It is important that I am able to see each student as an individual, and for his or her individual needs. The third philosophy that I have for my classroom is the importance of engaging my classroom. This is a very important aspect of learning; students have to be motivated to learn. The best way to motivate students is through positive encouragement. Positive encouragement can keep students on task, let them know what they should be doing, and help them strive to do their best possible work.

There are many reasons and experiences that I have had in my life that have made me want to become a teacher. More than anything I want to be able to help children, I want to make an impact on our future. I want to be able to show students how to succeed, and how to become intelligent and well-rounded people. I look forward to taking the experiences that I have had, learning from them and expanding them into many more new skills that I will need to become an effective teacher.