What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten?
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation
1. Who is your mentor and where do they work? If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?
As of right now, my mentor is Ady Hernandez. She works as a preschool teacher at Canyon Early Learning Center in Monrovia. Besides by working in the field, I see her as an expert because of her B.A. in Early Childhood Development and because of the amount of time, hard work, and love she puts into her job.
I am not entirely sure if I will be interviewing her for this assignment. I am currently looking for a new mentor due to troubles with scheduling and transportation.
2. What five questions will you ask them about their background?
For this interview, I will be asking the following questions:
1. Which school(s) did you attend to obtain your degree? What are some challenges that
you faced while trying to earn that degree?
2. What made you decide to teach in a preschool classroom? Was there ever a
point in which you would have liked to pursue something else?
3. What are some career goals that you have as an educator?
4. How do you define being a successful preschool teacher?
5. In your opinion, what is most rewarding about being a preschool teacher?
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Advisory Prep
1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year? What has made it a positive experience for you?
Regarding senior project, finding research and research checks in general have worked best for me. There's plenty of information out there, especially because there are so many subtopics within. Finding research hasn't been a challenge for me, at least not yet. There are a great deal of articles, books, and journals available to me, so looking for research is a breeze. While writing Cornell notes and reading through research, certain questions arise that help guide me through the next research check.
2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project? How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you? How might the senior team help?
I'm finding mentorship the most difficult aspect of senior project. My mentor works in Monrovia, and finding the means to get there has proven quite difficult. My parents both have work and my brother attends school so no one is available to drive me. I'm trying to find a school close to the area in which I live that will let me complete mentorship there. If that fails, then I will begin to look for schools close to IPoly. If the senior team happens to know someone who works in a preschool close to West Covina or IPoly and would be willing to take me in, well, that would be really great.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection
1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview? Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?
One of the most important pieces of information that I learned from this interview was that if you want to teach pre-school, you really have to love the job. If you don't enjoy spending time with children or you want a high paying job, the field is not for you. It's a ton on work. You may only spend a few hours with the kids, but a lot happens in those few. You play with them, teach them, attend their needs, and communicate with parents. So much is done in so little time, and the paycheck doesn't match the hard work that teachers put into it. If there's no passion, there is no point.
Something that I would do differently for other interviews is act more confident. I was so nervous for this interview that I didn't really talk much. All I did was ask questions and a few follow up ones. It was so bad that I'd lose my train of thought and stumble on my words. I was reading straight from a paper and I still messed it up! I'd really love to be more involved. I'd love for the interview to sound more like an engaging conversation instead of something forced.
2. Did I get additional resources and contacts? What is the most useful? Why?
I kind of got additional resources from this interview. One of my interviewees suggested that I talk to a Montessori pre-school teacher. She didn't give me any sort of contact, just a generalization. She also recommended talking with other pre-school teachers in the school/district. I'd have to say that her first suggestion is most useful. By speaking with a Montessori pre-school teacher, my perspective of the field would change and my knowledge would be further increased. Everything about Montessori style teaching is different from regular public school teaching. It's neither good or bad, but I can definitely learn from it. By observing two different sides, I can attain a bigger understanding of my topic that will eventually help me when it comes to my presentation in May.
3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me?
My interviewees are qualified to help my in my senior project due to their knowledge and experience. They both have a B.A. in Early Childhood Development and have been teaching for years. They know that teaching pre-school is hard work and that they're not being payed what they deserve, yet, they still come to work every day looking forward to what's in store. They are passionate and they are persevering. What more could you ask for from a pre-school teacher?
SoundCloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/kimramos56-890275310/interview-1
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Blog 4 - House Advisory Prep 1
As I work through my senior project this year, there are a few goals I hope to achieve while doing so. These include learning how to manage my time and gaining knowledge, as well as experience in the teaching field.
Senior year is a busy year. I always have that fear in the back of my mind telling me that I will not be fit to do this. With ASB, SAT, college applications, plus an ongoing mentorship, I'm always feeling that my best won't be good enough. There are so many things going on that I feel one responsibility might take over another and leave me to disregard certain tasks. So hopefully overtime I will develop better time management skills that will not only help me this year, but also for the years to come. I don't want to stay up for hours on end, I want to able to relax and go to sleep knowing that I have fulfilled the responsibilities I currently hold.
Through my mentorship, I hope to gain the experience and knowledge that'll help me in my future as an adult. Teaching pre-school is something that I would very much love to do after college. Volunteering at a pre-school will give me a head start on that and prepare me for the job that is to come (if I still love it by the end of the year). Not only do the hours look good on a college application, they'll also look great on a job application in the field of early childhood education. I will have the knowledge and experience that'll separate me from other applicants which gives me a better opportunity to pursue what I love.
Senior year is a busy year. I always have that fear in the back of my mind telling me that I will not be fit to do this. With ASB, SAT, college applications, plus an ongoing mentorship, I'm always feeling that my best won't be good enough. There are so many things going on that I feel one responsibility might take over another and leave me to disregard certain tasks. So hopefully overtime I will develop better time management skills that will not only help me this year, but also for the years to come. I don't want to stay up for hours on end, I want to able to relax and go to sleep knowing that I have fulfilled the responsibilities I currently hold.
Through my mentorship, I hope to gain the experience and knowledge that'll help me in my future as an adult. Teaching pre-school is something that I would very much love to do after college. Volunteering at a pre-school will give me a head start on that and prepare me for the job that is to come (if I still love it by the end of the year). Not only do the hours look good on a college application, they'll also look great on a job application in the field of early childhood education. I will have the knowledge and experience that'll separate me from other applicants which gives me a better opportunity to pursue what I love.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Blog 3 - First Interview Preparation
1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?
For my first interview, I plan on talking to one of two people. I am currently trying to decide whether to interview my mentor or one of her co-workers. I want to interview my mentor because not only is she an expert in the topic, but I feel as if having this interview would help me connect with her even more. A good relationship between one and his or her mentor is an important thing to have. It can spark potential jobs or connections and allows for a more easygoing environment between the two people. I do not have this type of relationship yet and this would give me a great chance to obtain it. But because the second interview is required to be with my mentor, I do not want to interview the same person twice. By reaching out to others I can get a more broad view of my topic and see it from various perspectives. This is why I would also like to interview one of my mentor's co-workers. I was given the chance to work with her as part of my summer mentorship and we've gotten along pretty well so far. I would love to hear her opinions on the topic of teaching pre-school and hopefully gain something more when speaking with her than I would with my mentor.
2. Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask. What additional questions do you plan to ask?
What made you decide to go into this field? Have you always wanted to study this?
What are some experiences that you've had that highlight what it's like to be a pre-school teacher?
In what ways have you grown and improved upon your profession?
How big of an impact does a pre-school teacher have on his or her students?
How do you handle working with student who is acting out or particularly reserved?
For my first interview, I plan on talking to one of two people. I am currently trying to decide whether to interview my mentor or one of her co-workers. I want to interview my mentor because not only is she an expert in the topic, but I feel as if having this interview would help me connect with her even more. A good relationship between one and his or her mentor is an important thing to have. It can spark potential jobs or connections and allows for a more easygoing environment between the two people. I do not have this type of relationship yet and this would give me a great chance to obtain it. But because the second interview is required to be with my mentor, I do not want to interview the same person twice. By reaching out to others I can get a more broad view of my topic and see it from various perspectives. This is why I would also like to interview one of my mentor's co-workers. I was given the chance to work with her as part of my summer mentorship and we've gotten along pretty well so far. I would love to hear her opinions on the topic of teaching pre-school and hopefully gain something more when speaking with her than I would with my mentor.
2. Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask. What additional questions do you plan to ask?
What made you decide to go into this field? Have you always wanted to study this?
What are some experiences that you've had that highlight what it's like to be a pre-school teacher?
In what ways have you grown and improved upon your profession?
How big of an impact does a pre-school teacher have on his or her students?
How do you handle working with student who is acting out or particularly reserved?
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