Experience Summary
My first student teaching experience was in a preschool. The classroom was very play based and not very structured. I learned how to communicate with the students while they were playing and was able to help them learn through scaffolding I learned how to model positive behaviors to the children and stay away from the negative.
I student taught in a preschool classroom. This classroom was inclusive and included many different kinds of learners. There were ten gifted children, two children with autism, one child with epilepsy, and the rest who were at benchmark. This was a great experience because I was placed with such an incredible seasoned mentor teacher. She taught me that being calm kept the children calm. I learned exactly how to plan, attended meetings, and really got a feel for the teaching profession. The lessons that I planned had to suit many different learning styles, so many times I taught thematic units that many different lessons could stem from. I learned that being positive with behavior management was more effective than being negative. and really solidified my teaching style.
Teaching Style
I believe that the goal of education is to teach children that leaning can be fun and meaningful. I think that this can be done by making sure that the learning environment is rich with multiple resources for students. There should be manipulatives for math, and all learning should be hands-on and active to meet the needs of every type of learner in the classroom.
I believe that the role of the teacher should be as a facilitator where the teacher acts like a mentor and guides learning. The teacher should be an expert in everything that is being taught but should expect the children to guide their own learning. A teacher should hold high expectations on their students and should always follow through on those expectations.
I believe that students should be self-directed learners who are guided by the teacher. As long as there are many rich resources in the classroom children can direct their own learning when high expectations are given.
I believe that parents should be involved in their child's education. Parents should be made to understand the importance of education and should always talk about it positively with their children. Parents should be given the opportunity to participate in the classroom as much as possible.