Kate Smith

Reflection 1

Description:
Stepping into Gear Park Elementary school for the first time was exciting yet
nerve-racking at the same time. I could not wait to find out who my co-operating
teacher would be and what grade I was lucky enough to work with for the semester.
During our first meeting at Gear Park, I was unable to meet my co-operating teacher,
Mrs. Klein but was able to meet with the other fifth grade teacher. I was graciously
welcomed into the other fifth grade classroom and was able to meet some of the
students I would be working with this semester. I was also able to meet Mrs. Kleins
class along with the substitute teacher, who was in this class about a year ago. The
students are excited to have me in their classroom and cannot wait for me to start my
pre-student teaching. One of the challenges that I might have in the classroom is
dealing with a student who does not speak English. I believe this is a place where I can
grow personal and professional and understand how to approach this situation in my
own future classroom.

Interpretation:
I do have a little experience working with fifth grade students from my TED 2250
course, with my 40 hours of observation. One thing that is noticeably different from my
observations to pre-student teaching is the language barrier with a few of the students.
I am excited to implement what I have learned from previous courses involving ELL

students and what else I can do to help in their learning experience. What I was able to
observe so far in the classroom, is that Mrs. Klein has a great understanding of the
learning differences between each student. This supports standard two, which deals
with diverse cultures and communities to ensure each student is able to meet high
standards. I was able to observe this when I briefly meet with Mrs. Klein this past week
after our class had concluded.

Application:
Personally, I find pre-student teaching to be an important step in the
process of becoming a successful teacher. Through this process I able to confirm that, I
love, working with children and seeing their minds grow every day with all the
knowledge I am feeding them. I have not had the opportunity to observe my cooperating teach, Mrs. Kline, teach a full lesson yet, but I am excited to see how she
engages the students through the different lessons. With teaching full lessons, I am
interested to see her classroom management and what her behavior strategy plan is if a
student begins to disrupt the class. I am also interested to see how she works with the
student who does not speak any English and ensures she fully understands the material
that is being taught.