Blog #1 Workplace
Recently I've enjoyed an internship at a wonderful elementary school located in Hayward , which actually used to be my old alma mater. I thoroughly enjoyed my many years at Southgate Elementary and I now have the chance to go back and give those kids some of the knowledge that my previous teachers have given to me. In each class there seems to be about 30-40 kids so, as you can imagine, at times the teachers can be quite overwhelmed. The first day on the job I tried my best to remain professional, efficient, and serious. This wasn't just another day at school; it was my first step to becoming a professional at a workplace and a way to gain valuable references for jobs and scholarships. I also believe that for a young man such as myself, with hopes to one day become a college graduate, Southgate Elementary is an extraordinary resource for advice and insight pertaining to a next level education. The school is filled with college graduates who have been where your at before. I would definitely consider that to be a strength at my workplace. But unfortunately there are some weaknesses. For example, though I do have other teens working amongst the workplace, as interns such as myself, my schedules are configured in a way which does not allow for much social time with my peers. Other then that small inconvenience, my internship has been great. I enjoy tutoring the kids and hope that they receive the help they need from the program.
You may notice the handsome young man in the back promoting a higher education. Go Cal Bears !!!!
Blog Entry #2
Not only is there an astonishingly handsome young man in the picture above, who if anybody was wondering goes by the name of Joshua Davis, there is that handsome young man's mentor, Brad Ward (Caucasian Male in Black Polo Shirt) . My mentor, Brad Ward, is a teacher at Southgate Elementary. His day is constructed of a series of questions and answers. He spends most of his time in front of a board trying to evaluate his class and determine what they could improve on. So far he has informed me that the main points of interest for of most his students are times tables as well as division. Mr. Ward is a college graduate and has receive his teaching credential. Both extremely important factors which must be handled in order to excel in a educational career. Like most teachers, in his early life this wasn't his primary choice for occupation but after a while he found out he had a knack for helping children and made a career out of it.
Not only is there an astonishingly handsome young man in the picture above, who if anybody was wondering goes by the name of Joshua Davis, there is that handsome young man's mentor, Brad Ward (Caucasian Male in Black Polo Shirt) . My mentor, Brad Ward, is a teacher at Southgate Elementary. His day is constructed of a series of questions and answers. He spends most of his time in front of a board trying to evaluate his class and determine what they could improve on. So far he has informed me that the main points of interest for of most his students are times tables as well as division. Mr. Ward is a college graduate and has receive his teaching credential. Both extremely important factors which must be handled in order to excel in a educational career. Like most teachers, in his early life this wasn't his primary choice for occupation but after a while he found out he had a knack for helping children and made a career out of it.
Blog Entry #3
My main responsibility as an intern for Brad Ward is assisting students who need extra attention in order to succeed in their classes. Everyday I try my absolute best to ensure that each of my students completely understands the task at hand.My "title" at the school is the Teacher's Assistant. Which actually turns out to a perfect description for my duties at the school. I "assist teachers" in each of my classes by keying in on individual students and do my best to help them understand the assignment. A normal day at work for me starts with a delectable breakfast at either of my favorite dining locations, Pixies Donuts and Mickey D's. This is usually followed by a light jog to my first period which I have with one of my peer Uchenna. My first period is filled with mostly autistic children so sometimes it hard to get responses from all of the students. Although, some days we may witness a break through or two. These are always my favorite parts of the day. After period number one I have all normal classes. In each normal class I'm doing about the same thing, helping out students who need extra assistance or have trouble learning or participating in large groups. At lunch, I try and interact with the kids and make them feel like they can trust me and think of me as one of their primary sources of ammunition in the fight against ignorance. The hardest part of being a TA is finding the boundaries between yourself and the student. You don't want to come across strict but at the same time you need to make it known that you are not "one of them". At the end of the day all of the interns come together in one room and run a tutoring program for the kids who's parents believe they need additional attention.
Blog Entry #4
What my peers and I have decided to as a project is to help the school create a "smooth" after school program for students who would benefit the most from an extra educational opportunity. My fellow interns, my mentor Brad Ward, and I all talked about the idea during our previous encounters. We all stressed the fact that there definitely are some kids who need this type of attention. We determined that it would be the most efficient to separate each intern equally amongst the grade levels. I will be working with the fourth graders helping them with multiplication and division which seems to be a rough subject for most of the kids. I am excited to start the program because it is an opportunity for me to directly give back to a organization which laid the foundation for who I am today.
Blog Entry #5
Today's internships was pretty much like any other. I helped the kids who needed extra attention with which ever subject they needed to be assisted on. After school, I talked to my mentor as well as with the other interns about the project. We decided that we will all have an individual project which we would create ourselves. For now, I think I might give one of my students a test in order to measure the knowledge they should have received after reviewing their material with them. This test would help the teacher determine whether or not the teachers method was working with the kids or not. By doing my own independent test i hope to give the teachers a better understanding of what's going on with their students. For example, how much easier it is for a student to learn one way then it is another. So far, my project has not been accomplished. I still need to create the tests and allow the student enough time to prepare for the exam. Once The proper procedures have been followed and I can finally get the ball rolling on my project I will be in good shape for my WLE.
Blog Entry #6
Leadership is an important factor when in any professional situation including at my WLE. In order to intern at a elementary school in some shape or form you must be a good role model. At such young ages, most of the kids we deal with are highly impressionable. You must be extremely careful when it comes to down to your word choice and the way you portrayed in front of large crowds of children. The leaderships trait I use most frequently is the ability to communicate powerfully. In order to get through to the kids you need to be confident with the answers you give them or else they will second guess what you say. Every time a student asks me a question I want them to be confident that they will receive the correct answer which is why I would say that powerful speaking is a prominent feature included in a TA's job description. I would say that my mentor also uses the same leadership trait. He is also in a position where it is very important to maintain communication with each student in order to make sure they understand the material as much as possible.
Blog Entry #7
During my internship I have learned so much information. This information is not only about the industry but also about myself. At the beginning of the WLE I was a little worried whether or not I would be able to perform well in a professional environment due to the lack of experience I had prior to this internship. Luckily, I did just fine. I enjoyed my self but also maintained a serious and professional mind state which I believe helped me with the teaching process because it would be almost impossible to teach someone who is never serious and always joking around because that's what they see you do. Since there were all of these various factors pertaining to my attitude and the way I portrayed myself in front of the kids I really had to step up and become the best possible role model I could for these kids. Another interesting thing I found out is that teaching is not as easy as it looks. After seeing the situation from a different perspective I can understand more of the problems teachers go through on a day to day basis. Also, I can sympathize with some of teachers in regards to the disappointment felt when you see a student with an endless amount of potential yet to be fulfilled. It's almost heart braking to see a student being held back when they were so close to what they had sought to achieve. But other then learning and obtaining new abilities I was actually able to put to use some of the abilities I already had. My creative mind really got to go to work within most of my younger grades. Multiple art projects and displays gave me a way to showcase some of my hidden talents and also pass on a little of what I've learned to the other students. If some asked me why what I did at my WLE was important I would have to tell them that my presence allowed the teachers time to focus more on what they needed to focus on and it allowed the students a chance to experience a different reference for education alternate to that of which they see and learn from on a day to day basis. I believe I did make an impact, if only for one day per week. This whole experience is another notch under my belt, and I will use it to further my chances at becoming a successful adult in the future. It really helped my understand that being a professional is not easy, and sometimes you have to make huge adaptations in order be of use to the person or people in need or your services.
Blog #8
Back before I had this internship I had to get on the internet and research businesses. Fortunately, I stumbled upon my old elementary school Southgate. When me and some of the other interns went down to ask about a possible internship we tried our best to be respectful, exude confidence, and portray the image of a well trained professional. Before entering the building I alerted my peers about the importance of appearance and informed them it would be in their best interest to make sure their pants were up to their waist and their chest was out straight. Once I had achieved the desired results from my pre game talk we entered the building calm, cool, and collected. When we spoke to the people at the front desk we used dialect that would suggest our level of education far surpassed that which we had obtained in reality. In fact, one of the ladies thought we where college students. With smiles on each of our faces, we explained to the women our expectations and needs for the internship. The women a the front desk gladly informed us that they had and opening for us and that they would get back to us ASAP. After we got the call about receiving the internship we were all overcome with happiness and proud that our methods of professionalism paid off. To me professionalism maintained about the same meaning before and after my WLE. Professionalism through my eyes is carrying yourself like you "matter", being aware that you make a significant difference to the people around you, and acting in a way that speaks to what your business is all about. That is my definition of professionalism.
Blog #9
Today at my internship I helped a student from Mrs. K's class prepare for an upcoming assessment. In order to ensure that my student would have a solid chance at passing his test we did a series of practice activities. Since the test focused most on reading we practiced letter sounds and went over the correct pronunciation of some of the more challenging words. Also, we read lots of stories. First i would read then he would go over the story so he could hear how it should sound then produce likewise results. I believe that my comfort level in regards to meeting and interacting with new people has greatly increased. It seems like everyday you see a new face at Southgate and having the ability to talk to them and make them feel comfortable around you is a valuable trait to have. I'm glad that's a trait I have been able to develop during my stay at Southgate Elementary. Also, other than being able to develop your skills and become a better person on a professional level Southgate Elementary gives you chance to help kids who may otherwise never get the attention they need and deserve.
Blog #10
Finally, I got more out of my WLE was more then I expected. To be honest I think I came out of this WLE looking at the world differently. Before I thought that all students received the same amount of attention and the same level of education but the truth is there are alot of kids left behind simply because they're afraid or too shy to ask questions. This experience has made it clear to me that WLE will be a hard thing to succeed in without the proper preparation and timing. If you fall behind it can be really hard to catch up so stay consistent with blogs, keynotes, projects, ect. Also, even though your WLE may not be what you want to be in your future there is still a chance you'll find joy out the things you do and it may even unleash a hidden passion that you never knew you had.
