Amaya's Digital Portfolio
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  • Home
  • 9th Grade Reflections
    • Algebra 1 >
      • POWs
    • Humanities >
      • Projects
    • Digital Arts
    • Physics
    • Spanish
    • TPOL
  • 10th Grade Reflections
    • Humanities >
      • Journalism Project
      • Imperialism on Trial
      • Truth of War Project
      • Anatomy of an Osprey
    • Math 2
    • Biology
    • Spanish 2
    • Advanced Algebra
    • POL Reflection
  • 11th Grade Reflections
    • Chemistry >
      • Labs
    • Leadership Developement
    • Precalculus
    • Humanities
    • Spanish 3
    • Math 3
    • SEGL
  • 12th Grade Reflections
    • Advanced Digital Arts
    • Humanities >
      • Writing Portfolio
    • IFASA
    • Spanish 4
    • Math 4
    • World Religion
    • Senior Project
    • Consumer Math
  • Extra Curriculars
    • Girls on the Run
    • MYAC Youth Engagement Program
    • Restorative Justice
    • AHS Student Ambassador
    • Dance
    • Community Garden
  • College and Career
    • Resume
    • LINK at the Shanta Foundation
    • Post-Secondary Goals
    • Interest Surveys
    • LINK 2.0

link 2.0

Jesscia's Digital Portfolio
Animas High School
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For the last semester I was Jessica McCallum’s teachers assistant. She is a 9th and 11th grade humanities teacher at Animas High School. I assisted her with her 9th graders during first period and when my schedule was more flexible first and second period.

Project and Process

I spent the beginning of the semester observing Jessica and watching her teaching style. I took physical and mental notes on her approach. For example, when she is talking to a student she physically meets their level. If a student is on the ground she will sit down next them to have a more intimate conversation. This creates a stronger bonds with her students.

During the semester the class produced two projects, the Shakespeare shadow puppet show and the This I Believe essay. The Shakespeare project ending up taking the majority of the semester because of the snows days and many field trips the freshman attended. I spent the majority of the this project I observed and did odd jobs for Jessica. I was also cast in the puppet show. Fortunately, when the puppet show concluded my schedule was less full so I could help more. Jessica and I decided to use the remaining time in the school year to do the This I Believe project. Coincidentally, I did this project during 10th grade and was intrigued to help teach it. My final project was officially giving feedback to all the students’ rough drafts. When I was giving the students feedback I used my own experience getting teacher feedback and the previous comments I have seen Jessica make to give the 9th grader edits. After I gave them feedback I was available at school for writing conferences, so students could have one-on-one attention.  I was proud of the improvements the students made after I critiqued them. Additionally, I was pleasantly discovered how much I enjoy editing and how it came naturally to me It was fulfilling to see them want to create beautiful work and I cried when they read them at All School Exhibition.

Throughout this internship, I struggled with getting the students to take me seriously. I am only three years older than them and in some cases they are my friends. When I tried to tell them to pay attention or get to work I noticed they would ignore me. This was frustrating because I could have done more in-front-of-the-class teaching if they took me more seriously. They simply saw me as a peer, not an authority figure. They would tell me about the parties they went to and I would have endlessly remind them I was technically their teacher and it was not appropriate.  Reflecting back, I should have set firmer boundaries with the students. I tried to get to know them at the beginning of the semester and I think they thought this ment we were friends. In the future I will use other techniques to get to know them, like asking about their experience with school instead of asking what they did the past weekend.

Future Thinking

I am not going to study teaching in college, but this internship has solidified my plan to do Teach for America. Even though this will not end up being my long-term career, my passion for education will not change. I am studying politics and will use my experience both from LINK 2.0 and Teach for America to make decisions about education policy.

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