Teamwork Skills:
Evidence
Through many teaching opportunities and small group work, I have been able to help students work together to understand difficult concepts. During the barbie proportions activity, students were able to work together in pairs to figure out the scale factors and life size measurements for the barbie and ken dolls. As the teacher for the activity, I was able to monitor progress and help the students work more effectively in their groups. Utilizing lesson plan templates makes lessons run a lot more smoothly. Because of my organized lesson plan, I was able to launch the lesson and spark interest for the students right away. A sort of review activity I planned for after the MCA testing worked well because I was able to keep the students excited and engaged throughout the activity. In some small group sessions, I have had students work through problems out loud together to help them better understand the different yet similar processes of arriving at the correct answer. Through these small group sessions, I have learned how to best motivate and help certain types of students succeed.
Personal Management Skills:
*Flexibility
Flexibility is a key skill in teaching due to the diversity of students and the extent of their involvement in school activities. Teachers should be flexible with students who choose to get involved in clubs and sports. Teachers also need to respect that no one learns in the same way, and that some people need more time or explanations to understand a concept. Through my internship, I have learned how my mentor is flexible with students regarding test make-ups, test corrections, and missing assignments. There is also some flexibility involved in grading tests and assignments. I have learned how my mentor decides point totals for tests, and have even determined point totals myself. I have been able to realize which types of problems require more flexibility when grading than others. I have also had the opportunity to teach lessons that my mentor would explain how to teach a few minutes before I taught the class. I have learned to be extremely flexible by always being ready to teach.
*Tenacity and resilience
Resilience is a key skill for a successful teacher, especially when students are slow to understand a concept. I have had the opportunity to work with many students in small groups. It is crucial to spend more time with the students who require more explanation than to get through more problems in less time. Sometimes, it can be difficult to maintain patience when working with struggling students, which makes it even more important to stay calm and help students through a problem.
*Self-starting/Initiative
Through many small group sessions, I have been able to relate problems to real life situations to keep students engaged and help them remember the concepts. Initiative is important in keeping the students excited about math and learning in general.
*Time management
Because of my involvement in sports and other activities, I have had to learn how to manage my time to be able to maintain good grades. Throughout high school, I have been able to maintain a perfect grade point average.
*Responsibility
Responsibility is clearly a key attribute required of teachers, and I have been able to showcase my responsibility many times throughout my internship. In one instance, my mentor was planning on being gone for two days, and I was able to take charge of the classes for the substitute. The students were very respectful for me and I enjoyed teaching them with a little less pressure than normal. Sometimes, the students would ask why I could not just be the substitute teacher.
Evidence
Through many teaching opportunities and small group work, I have been able to help students work together to understand difficult concepts. During the barbie proportions activity, students were able to work together in pairs to figure out the scale factors and life size measurements for the barbie and ken dolls. As the teacher for the activity, I was able to monitor progress and help the students work more effectively in their groups. Utilizing lesson plan templates makes lessons run a lot more smoothly. Because of my organized lesson plan, I was able to launch the lesson and spark interest for the students right away. A sort of review activity I planned for after the MCA testing worked well because I was able to keep the students excited and engaged throughout the activity. In some small group sessions, I have had students work through problems out loud together to help them better understand the different yet similar processes of arriving at the correct answer. Through these small group sessions, I have learned how to best motivate and help certain types of students succeed.
Personal Management Skills:
*Flexibility
Flexibility is a key skill in teaching due to the diversity of students and the extent of their involvement in school activities. Teachers should be flexible with students who choose to get involved in clubs and sports. Teachers also need to respect that no one learns in the same way, and that some people need more time or explanations to understand a concept. Through my internship, I have learned how my mentor is flexible with students regarding test make-ups, test corrections, and missing assignments. There is also some flexibility involved in grading tests and assignments. I have learned how my mentor decides point totals for tests, and have even determined point totals myself. I have been able to realize which types of problems require more flexibility when grading than others. I have also had the opportunity to teach lessons that my mentor would explain how to teach a few minutes before I taught the class. I have learned to be extremely flexible by always being ready to teach.
*Tenacity and resilience
Resilience is a key skill for a successful teacher, especially when students are slow to understand a concept. I have had the opportunity to work with many students in small groups. It is crucial to spend more time with the students who require more explanation than to get through more problems in less time. Sometimes, it can be difficult to maintain patience when working with struggling students, which makes it even more important to stay calm and help students through a problem.
*Self-starting/Initiative
Through many small group sessions, I have been able to relate problems to real life situations to keep students engaged and help them remember the concepts. Initiative is important in keeping the students excited about math and learning in general.
*Time management
Because of my involvement in sports and other activities, I have had to learn how to manage my time to be able to maintain good grades. Throughout high school, I have been able to maintain a perfect grade point average.
*Responsibility
Responsibility is clearly a key attribute required of teachers, and I have been able to showcase my responsibility many times throughout my internship. In one instance, my mentor was planning on being gone for two days, and I was able to take charge of the classes for the substitute. The students were very respectful for me and I enjoyed teaching them with a little less pressure than normal. Sometimes, the students would ask why I could not just be the substitute teacher.
Such skills have been developed through the internship program as well as past experiences, which are described here.