Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

IT'S DONE I'M SO HAPPY

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I am most proud of the fact that I was able to make time, almost 10 minutes over in fact. Presenting in general did not make me worry, it was the fact that I had to have 30 minutes of quality research time. I had plenty of information to talk for that half hour, but when I present I have a habit of talking fast, tripping over my words, and skipping over information due to all the pressure. I was worried that I would do those things and not make time in the end. I noticed that when I was talking about my first answer, I was talking pretty quickly, so when it came to my second and third answers I calmed down, breathed, and did better. Still fast I'll admit, but not as much as before. 

I am also proud of my second activity, Name Bingo. When I revealed to the class what the activity would be almost everyone in the room got excited. During the process of it all they were all very enthusiastic yet focused. I had a good time and so did the students, which really took the pressure off. 

(2) Questions to Consider

a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

I'm stuck between giving myself a P or an AE. I felt that I made the requirements on the component contract, making my presentation worthy of a P. But after presenting and talking with seniors and juniors I heard comments like "This is the best presentation I've seen so far," "Wow you never made it boring," or "I really enjoyed your hook and activities, they were so fun," I realized that I did better than okay. I engaged my audience well throughout my presentation, my two activities better explained how preschoolers/kindergartners learn and were still very fun, and I also gave out awards to those who would answer my questions, which really kept the students involved. After reflecting I feel that I deserve a more than a P. I feel like my presentation is worthy of a an AE.

b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE      P         AP       CR       NC

I think I deserve a P overall in my senior project. Besides my presentation, nothing was extraordinary or anything like that. I completed all the work I needed to do and I did this on time. The only thing that was late was my IC#2 out of plain forgetfulness. Not my proudest moment, but I feel as though the fact that I've always done my work with proficiency on time, it should make up for that. 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

The incentives I had. Throughout my presentation I would ask my audience questions about what I talked about and when they answered correctly I would hand them an award with their name that said "Congratulations!" and "You're out of this world!" This really excited them and made a good portion of the class raise their hands when I asked a question. It kept them involved during my presentation, which I'm glad I did. While watching presentations I liked when presenters let their audience get involved, and not just in the activity. This incentive made them pay attention to what I had to say and them constantly participating. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?

As much as my audience and I liked the Bingo activity, I felt that too much time was spent on it. A lot of the names and numbers I would call would not always be on the card. So that was a bit of a time waster. It was not as well executed as I would have liked it to be. 

(5) Finding Value

Working with kids is something that I want to do. Senior Project was a good way of letting myself get hands on experience and seeing if this is really what I wanted to do. After completing it, I now know that I would still very much like to work with kids, but not at the preschool age. I have found that I'm not as patient as a preschool teacher should be, so a different and older age would be best for me. I have realized that I would very much like to go into the education field; senior project solidified that for me. 

Exit Interview

1. What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

My essential question is: What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten. My three answers are social skills, motor skills, and letter and alphanumeric skills. In my opinion, the best answer is social skills. I consider this the best answer because of the large emphasis there has been on cooperation and collaboration for young kids in school. This is also my best answer because social skills aren't as easy to pick up on. Children need to be around a group of people to help develop this skills. Unlike motor and alphanumeric skills, it cannot be learned at home as easily. The best way to teach and learn it is a school environment when they are surrounded by others like themselves. 

2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

I first came to this answer by research. When gathering research for assignments, I noticed that social skills were highly stressed in the sources that I read. It was later confirmed to me during my Interview 3 with Bonnie Avalos. After asking her my EQ, she responded with social skills without a second thought. In her transitional kindergarten class, a grade meant to prepare students for kindergarten, she tries to teach them as many skills as possible, the biggest among those being social skills. 

3. What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

When researching about social skills, I noticed that the information seemed to get repetitive. Though there were some minor differences that did help, a big problem for me was knowing that I was not getting anywhere further with my answer. I was able to resolve this by simply talking with other teachers about why they think social skills are so vitally important to a preschooler. They gave me lots of personal examples that explained to me why they were so important and how it applies to students.

4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

One of my most significant sources I used to answer my essential question was Bonnie Avalos. She was able to explain to me why social skills were imperative to the life of a preschooler entering kindergarten and also helped my find my third answer. Whenever I had a question she was always there to answer. I probably wouldn't have gotten here without her. My other most significant source was Renee Ambrovitz. A source I found online, Ambrovitz proved to be an excellent source through her many years as a childhood educator and the detailed articles she would write online for her viewers. Ambrovitz goes in depth with each topic she writes about which I found to be incredibly helpful to my project. 

Blog 22: Independent Component 2

IC 2 is complete! :D

LITERAL
(a) I, Kimberly Ramos, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 44 hours of work.

(b) The teacher I had been working with, Bonnie, helped me a lot throughout my IC, along with articles "Gross Motor Development"  and "Fine Motor Development" by Renee Ambrovitz. These articles helped me expand by knowledge on motor development by providing specific details and examples. 

(c) IC 2 hours log updated. 

(d) For my IC 2, I volunteered in a transitional kindergarten classroom. This new, implemented grade is meant to help prepare kids with the proper skills needed for kindergarten, which is perfect in regards to my EQ. In the time I spent volunteering, a big part was mainly office work, so copying, laminating, cutting, etc. That was mainly after class was dismissed. After school I would also help clean and organize the classroom. When class was in session, I would mainly observe, hand out materials, and talk to/help students around the classroom. 
  
(e) My component demonstrates 30 hours of work because I volunteered for that amount of time and more. In the time that I volunteered, I got a taste of what it's like to play teacher and see how students are learning throughout the year. I found my component to be extremely significant, more than the first component. For my first, I worked in a preschool classroom, which only gave me background information. For this one, I worked in a TK classroom, which helps me figure out the most important skills needed for kindergarten. I was able to talk to other teachers and visit their classrooms to get a feel of different teaching/learning styles. Due to liability issues, for my evidence, I was not able to get any photos of the students, so I did what I could. I got a picture of the classroom, an activity the students did, and some work they completed. 

The classroom after a long time of cleaning. Kids are really messy.

We read Green Eggs and Ham during reading time and followed up with a writing assignment of the book.

Another writing assignment the kids worked on 

This is a sight word concentration game that Bonnie had the students play.

(f) My EQ is what is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten. For my IC 2, that's exactly what the teacher's focused on. Preparing their students for kindergarten. Watching what they teach and how kids respond to it, it's kind of difficult to see what exactly their teaching. From the outside, it doesn't seem like they're teaching anything. It looks like they are just handing kids some art materials and seeing what they do from there or singing a song with them to enjoy themselves. I had to ask the teacher what exactly they were learning in order to see more into it. When I was answered with motor skills, I could see how handing them that crayon or paint brush helped with their grip and helped move and control the small muscles in their hand. When I was answered with number skills I could see how that game of bingo helped them with recognizing numbers and understanding their significance. There was a lot I couldn't see from just observing, so I did what I had to do and reflect from there. 

Blog 21 - Interview 4 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?

The stress of social skills. I knew they were important to a child's kindergarten education, but I never realized how important it actually is. It's a teacher's number one priority skill to teach. Because of the recent emphasis on group work, children need this skill for not only kindergarten, but future grades too.
   
2. How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

I'll have a lot more to talk about that will help me in regards to my EQ. I would say I learned the most from this interview. Even with things I thought I knew about, there was so much more about them. Because of the greater knowledge I now have, I think it will help me on my final presentation with not only my time, but sounding like more of an expert in my topic. 

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Cp1MQ-kQXrt5-TTDyR3qqKJSZCICYt8DUZD1rFVcaw/edit?usp=sharing

Sound: https://soundcloud.com/kimramos56/interview-4

Fourth Interview Questions

1. Who do you plan to interview? What is this person's area of expertise?

I plan to interview a family friend, Bonnie. She is a transitional kindergarten teacher, which I  find to be very helpful for my EQ. Her job is to help kids by preparing them for kindergarten, which is what my EQ is about. 

2. Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

1. What is a way you think helps preschoolers enter kindergarten better prepared? 
2. What is transitional kindergarten?
3. How is transitional kindergarten beneficial to a young child’s life?
4. How important would you say is preschool and transitional kindergarten is a kid’s life?
5. What is taught in a transitional kindergarten classroom? 
6. What should children know when entering kindergarten? 
7. What do you think they should know when entering kindergarten?
8. In what ways kindergartners tend to struggle during the school year? 
9. How can transitional kindergarten help the kids who struggle?
10. Do struggles that kindergartners face affect their academic 
performance? 

11. Do those struggles affect their social interactions with teaches and 
students? 
12. How would you suggest a preschooler best prepare for kindergarten so that they can
      be successful in the kindergarten year?
13. In what ways would you suggest parents get involved to help their child prepare for
      kindergarten?
14. What do you think is the most important skill a child can take to kindergarten with
      them?
15. How would you go about effectively teaching students the essential skills needed for
      kindergarten?
16. As a teacher for transitional kindergarten, what are some goals you have for your
      students?
17. Besides working/volunteering in classrooms, how else might I find an answer to my
      EQ?
18. Are there any books that you recommend that would help me answer my EQ? 
19. What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her 
students to best
      prepare them for kindergarten?
20. What is an experience that you would say highlights being a transitional kindergarten
      teacher?

Blog 19: Third Answer

1. EQ 

What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten? 

2. Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

The most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten is alphanumeric skills. 

3. 3 details to support the answer

• Being able to recognize the letters of the alphabet and numbers is an expectation in
   itself for entry level kindergartners, whether they attended a preschool program
   or not. 

• Children will need to know the basic mathematical number concepts that their
   kindergarten teacher will requires according to Common Core Standards.

• Reading and writing activities are heavily implemented in a kindergarten education so 
   it's imperative that entry level kindergartners know these skills so that they don't fall 
   behind in class.
4. The research source(s) to support your details and answer

• Source #34

Abramovitz, Renee. "Classroom Expectations." Schoolsparks.com. SchoolSparks, 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.schoolsparks.com/early-childhood-development/classroom-expectations> 

• Source # 55

Abramovitz, Renee. "Math and Number Awareness." Schoolsparks.com. SchoolSparks, 2012. Web. 2 Mar. 2016. <http://www.schoolsparks.com/early-childhood-development/math-number-awareness> 


5. Concluding Sentence

Children who enter kindergarten without awareness of letters and numbers will experience difficulty in the school year. Children are expected to recognize them upon entrance to kindergarten. If they don't come in with alphanumerical skills, either time is taken away from lessons to teach them, or children will struggle as these lessons are taught.

Blog 18 - Answer 2

1. What is your EQ?

What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten? 

2. What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

The most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten are social skills.

3. What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

The most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten are motor skills.

4. List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

◦ Learning fine motor skills will improve kids' abilities to coordinate the small muscles in
   their hands and fingers. This helps them in assignments such as writing, drawing,
   painting, etc.  
◦ Improving upon fine motor skills also helps when it comes to pencil grip. Coming into
   kindergarten a child will be expected to have a dominant hand and to be able to write
   their name, basic words, and numbers. 
◦ Learning gross motor skills will improve a child's ability to move the larger muscles in
   the arms, legs, and torso. This helps with the physical activities they'll engage in when
   they are in kindergarten.

5. What printed source best supports your answer?

Research Check #16, Source #48 

Pica, Rae. "Why Motor Skills Matter." Naeyc.org. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Jul. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2016. <https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200807/BTJLearningLeapsBounds.pdf>

6. What other source supports your answer?

Research Check #15, Source #43:

Abramovitz, Renee. "Gross Motor Development." Schoolsparks.com. SchoolSparks, Dec. 2014. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. <http://www.schoolsparks.com/early-childhood-development/gross-motor> 

Research Check #15, Source #44: 

Abramovitz, Renee. "Fine Motor Development." Schoolsparks.com. SchoolSparks, Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. <http://www.schoolsparks.com/early-childhood-development/fine-motor> 

7. Tie this together with a concluding thought.

Knowing or not knowing motor skills when entering kindergarten will have a significant impact on a child. A lot of the activities kids will engage in rely upon their motor skills. A child with these skills will breeze through, whereas a child without will experience some difficulty throughout the year as he picks up on the skill. 

Blog 17 - Interview 3 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

I would say that the most important thing I learned from my interview was what skills are most important to bring into kindergarten. My interviewee, Bonnie, had mentioned that social skills are one of the most essential skills a child entering kindergarten can have. This was one of my answers to my EQ, and though I've researched on this for a while, I was able to get more insight on it. I also learned that coming into kindergarten knowing the letters of the alphabet and numbers has great significance as well. 
 
2.  How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

I'm definitely a lot more comfortable during interviews now. At first, I treated it like it was just that, an interview. Not a conversation. I would ask my questions, maybe a few follow up questions, say thank you, and leave. It's a lot different now. I still, of course, ask my questions, but now I'm not nervous asking those follow ups and actually enjoy the conversation. After the interview, I stay a little longer to chat, whether it be about my senior topic or just anything. I go into my interviews now to have conversation, not just listen to what the person has to say. 

Audio:

https://soundcloud.com/kimramos56/interview-3

Transcript: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pZvpXe0ZT0wnBc2amTtXhhSNfsRdV5b0Ouxt6ewH8eE/edit?usp=sharing

Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I plan on volunteering for 30 hours. Instead of volunteering in a preschool classroom like I did on my first independent component, I plan on working these hours in a transitional kindergarten classroom instead to further my knowledge. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will post a log of my hours and also photos of my experience. These photos however, will not be able to show the students (unless you can't see their faces) due to confidentiality and liability issues. So, these photos can consist of the classroom and students' work. 

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

My EQ is, "What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them students for kindergarten?" I feel that in order to help better my answers for this question, I will need a hands on approach. So, volunteering in a transitional kindergarten classroom will help me see what it is like in a real classroom. Research and interviews do help with exploring answers, but I feel that the best way to answer my question is to get out there, observe, and gain experience. 

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.

Done

Independent Component 1

Independent component is done! 

• LITERAL
  (a) Write: “I, Kimberly Ramos, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
  (b) My independent component involved me coming into the classroom and completing extra hours, so there isn't a source that I can site that helped me complete it. Everything I did to complete it was done by physically being there in the classroom. If anything you can email my mentor Bonnie at bonnie.e.avalos@gmail.com to confirm that I have done my 30 hours worth of work. 
• (c) Blog updated. 
• (d) Over the course of 2 and a half weeks, I came into the classroom whenever I could for about 3-4 hours a day. For the first week I would mainly observe what the children were doing in class and just clean. After that first week I became more involved in the classroom and began helping out the kids with assignments and problems here and there. I had more of a presence in the classroom and got more comfortable with the kids and they got more comfortable with me. I did a lot of cleaning and office work (like making copies). 
• INTERPRETIVE 
  My work was extremely significant in regards to my project because it really gave me the idea of what it's like to play teacher and student. It let me know about what typical things you see in a classroom and how children learn and act. It demonstrates 30 hours of work because thats the amount of time I took to help out in the class. You can access my log, which shows 30 hours or work, here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F1AFBqeQn_IbC2zvGoswvhPwuPLNCh15sebWG3NPYWk/edit?usp=sharing
• APPLIED
  This component helped me understand the foundation of my topic better by getting a fuller understanding of how the typical day in preschool is. Even though I was only there for the second half of the day, I know how the first half went through discussion with my mentor. The day was separated into sections which included music, arts and crafts, reading, writing, play, nap time, story time, circle time, etc. The routine really helps out the kids by making learning easier and getting the students to feel more comfortable. 

Lesson 2 Reflection

Me after finishing my presentation.

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

I am most proud of making time. I witnessed some of my peers falling short on time and it made me worried about not making it myself. I feared that out of nervousness I would talk too fast and be under time. Fortunately, I was able to keep calm, speak at a normal rate, and make time at the end. Once I realized that keeping up with the clock wasn't an obstacle anymore, I became more confident in myself and my presentation.

2.a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-
       assessment)?

P

   b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component
       contract.

I think I deserve a P on my presentation for Lesson 2 because I met all the requirements necessary to earn a P. I feel that I worked to the best of my ability and for that I would give myself a P. 

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

I think what really worked in my Lesson 2 Presentation was talking talk about experiences from mentorship. That was able to grab a better hold of the audience's attention and keep them engaged. It also gave me a bit of comfort being up in front of the class knowing that my audience was interested in what I had to say. 

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

What didn't work as well as I could have liked it to be was my activity debrief. I said what I wanted to say but I completely forgot to make the class present on what they did/learned in the activity. So if I could go back, I would change that little detail that way my audience could get a better understanding of my activity. 

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

At the moment, I feel that my answer #2 will be that the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten are fine motor skills. But that answer could change after completing more hours and working on my independent component 2. 

Blog 14: Third Interview Preparation

What is the most important skill a preschool teacher can teach her students to best prepare them for kindergarten?

1. Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

I plan on interviewing a family friend, Bonnie Avalos, for this next interview. She holds a master's degree and has been in the field for over 20 years. Not only has she taught preschool, but kindergarten too. This helps me get better insight on my EQ.

2. Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview.  What is the date and time of the interview? 

I have scheduled this interview for Monday February 15 at around 3:00 PM. 

3. Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.

Besides working in a preschool and kindergarten classroom, how else might I find an answer to my EQ? What makes that justifiable? 

4. Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc).

How would you go about effectively teaching your students the essential skills needed for kindergarten? How do you ensure that each and every child will understand the material?

5. Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ. 

In what ways have you seen kindergartners struggle in your years of teaching? Do these struggles affect their relationships with their classmates or their academic performance? What do you expect kindergartners to know when they enter your classroom?

Blog 12: Holiday Project Update

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?

There's not much you can do over break when your topic regards school. The same time you're on break, so is everyone else. Hours were definitely off the list, so instead I just did some new research on my topic to restrict myself from falling back and to learn new things. 
2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

I would say the most important thing I learned over break is that is that in order to see your students succeed and improve at school, you have to be very observant of them by paying attention to their actions, behaviors, and personalities.

3. Your third interview will be a 10 question interview related to possible answers for your EQ. Who do you plan to talk to and why?

For my third interview, I plan on talking to a family friend. She has been teaching preschool for over ten years now. Her experience in the field draws my attention towards her. 

Blog 11: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?

I am most proud of the fact that I was energetic during my presentation. Some of peers' presentations were not engaging due to the fact that they displayed a monotone voice or seem uninterested about their topic. I am proud that I was able to catch most of my audience's attention.  

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.

I would give myself a P on my lesson. I completed everything on the component contract but didn't really do anything to go "above and beyond." It went smoothly so the assessment I give myself is a P.

3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson?  How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?

If I could go back, I would change my hook (circle time). Though I was proud of my hook and I enjoyed how it was interactive and grabbed the attention of my audience, it was a bit too long. I was hoping that it would be 2 minutes maximum. It ended up affecting me in the end because I was not able to go through each and every one of my points. From this knowledge, I can make sure that Lesson 2 is better by choosing a hook that will be shorter or if not, keeping an eye on the timer and cutting the hook short so that I will be able to present all of my information. 

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

From the few times that I have been able to go to mentorship, I usually shadow or help organize the classroom and clean up. I don't really get to spend a lot of time with the kids which is kind of disappointing, but hopefully, in time, I will. The tasks that I perform are related to my topic, but they're small tasks that are not nearly as important as working with the students. 

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  

I was able to find my mentor through an IPoly student. Their mother is a preschool teacher. He told me that if I was interested in mentoring with her then I could simply ask. So I did. It didn't take much convincing. I explained my situation and she seemed happy to help me out, and happy to get some help around the classroom. 

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

On a scale of one to ten, I'd rate my comfort level as an eight (1 being the least comfortable and 10 being the most comfortable). My mentor is a very approachable and outgoing person, so I always felt comfortable around her. At the beginning I was a bit shy and awkward but as time went on, my level of comfort increased. This definitely makes the time I spend with my mentor a lot more enjoyable and a lot less awkward.   

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?
The fact that my mentor connected her answers to her most recent experiences. After answering a question, my mentor would usually tell me about an incident that relates to her answer. Not only is the information helpful for the senior project in general, but they also help me in making a decision. Is teaching the right path for me? If there's one thing I can improve on, it would be having more follow-up questions so that I can learn more and hear additional details. While listening over my interview, I found myself asking a lot of questions. In order to improve, I'll just have to listen extra carefully and not be afraid to ask more questions or butt into her answer. 

Interview Sound 

Interview Transcript

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc). 

At this current state, I do have a mentor. I am looking into switching mentors due to scheduling and transportation issues, which my mentor is aware of. I have not completed the interview. I am hoping that I will be able to conduct it with my new mentor (if that happens by the time it's due). If worse comes to worse, I will complete the interview with my old/current mentor.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.   

After conducting research for these last couple of months, I have found some specific areas in my topic that interest me to pursue further. These include managing behavioral problems in students and how to become a successful preschool teacher (as in teaching students effectively and preparing them for kindergarten). I am interested in challenging behaviors because I want to learn how to deal with these things while doing mentorship and my future (as of now I am leaning towards teaching children). I feel like this would be a major problem in a classroom fool of toddlers or little kids so I want to know how that can best be handled. I am also captivated in how to become a successful preschool teacher because I want to make a difference in children's lives and prepare them for the years to come. As a possible future teacher, that will be my main goal. 

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

I feel as though research articles and books will best help me gain more in depth knowledge and research. The internet is always available so I can get articles from there and maybe e-books as well. As for books in general, I will most likely get them at the Cal Poly Library or even my local library if they hold books that pertain to my topic. 

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

What is the most effective way in which a preschool teacher can manage problematic behavior in his/her students?
How can a preschool teacher best prepare his/her students for kindergarten?

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my 30 hours, I plan on serving more volunteer hours. This includes, but is not limited to, reading to the children, helping them with activities, gathering and cleaning up materials, interacting with the children during playtime, and generally being involved and having a presence in the classroom. 
  
2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

To show that I have done my 30 hours of work, I plan to keep a log of my hours. This log will be similar to my senior project hours log. It will show what day I volunteered, how many hours I volunteered, and what made up my experience that day. I would have liked to show pictures of myself helping out in the classroom, but for confidentiality and liability reasons, I am not allowed  to do so. So I will just be documenting about what I did throughout the day.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

More mentorship hours will help me explore my topic more in depth because I'll be completing some of the teacher's duties, therefore getting a feel for what it's like to teach preschool. Having such a constant presence will hopefully help me think of more possible research to look for and help me finally decide on an essential question. 

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Done! There's basically nothing there though because I am still trying to find a new mentor that is closer to where I live :( I'm hoping to volunteer at the children's center at CalPoly but the only problem is that I have to be 18. I plan on speaking to someone there this week about working a way around that rule. There is also another center a few blocks away from my home and I plan on visiting tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well and I can soon add more hours to my log! 

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? 

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. 

Me because I can't go to mentorship 

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