I remember my first foray into teaching outdoor education. I shadowed for two weeks watching other teachers conducting lessons on dissections, geodes, tree identification, herpetology, and more. I really valued that time and found the opportunities scarce when I actually started on my own.<\/p>\n
When I arrived at UPCS for the summer program, I made an effort to come once a week at least to get to know the students and try to absorb as much as I could. Looking back now, I would rather observe to find insight on a particular teaching pain rather than try to absorb everything. Much of that information was there the whole time but I was not looking for it yet.<\/p>\n
Similarly, I attended more than the required rounds for fall and spring and have benefitted from it. I am grateful for seeing other middle school classes taught because I can learn more about how they handle students that I still have no idea what to do with. I pick up ideas on how they conduct themselves in teaching and just see how they put lessons together.<\/p>\n
The onsite meetings with the four other UPCS MATS have been so useful too, it’s kind of like therapy but also a time to process the windfall of knowledge that just flies by us. I think in these meetings we can really focus in on students that challenge us and work through situations.<\/p>\n
I took part in a lot of meetings with students, some led by them. Others were led by other UPCS teachers, primarily Lauren Mills, who works with a lot of students one on one to help them work through academic and interpersonal issues.<\/p>\n
Here’s a video that I am in where a student of mine Alec Hazard had his Student Led Meeting:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/practice\/student-led-meetings-empowering-student-voice<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observations:<\/strong><\/p>\n Rounds Observation – Tanya Jung 12.8.16<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observation – Shannon Donellan 12.9.15<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observation – Jennifer Manglass 2.19.16<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observation – Rita Jenness 2.27.16<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observation – Bess Wilhelm 2.29.16<\/a><\/p>\n Rounds Observation- Laura Matthew 3.3.16<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n