Blog #22 Project Reflection
Now that I am done with my project I couldn’t be more happy with all the work put in. I loved working with the kids but I also loved having everything planned out for myself. I will say what went well was my binder that has everything I needed for the lessons and being able to handle the kids as well. I think if I had to pick the only thing different I would do would be pick a different category for everyday. I did cooking for all of my four lessons but looking back I wish I did something different each day. However what stood out was how much fun I was having seeing them enjoy what they were making, the energy was different than high school of course so being around that and being a ‘teacher’ meant more to me then I thought.
Blog # 21 My Advice
If I had to give any advice it would be to pick a place that interests you the most, I have many friends that picked an internship that sounded nice and professional but didn't have the best time. Of course keeping in mind that it follows your interests you have in the future. The most important skills would be having a voice. A voice to ask if anyone needs help and make sure you are always working on something. Sitting around will give the wrong impression of you to the staff and you must make sure they know your good qualities. I would say to make sure whenever you start any type of assignment you want to have a plan for it before so you have a format.
Blog #20 Ideas On College
My internship has of course influenced my thoughts on what I will be studying of course. I have of course looked at many colleges but I have not set my mind to anything specific. I know I have said it many times on my blog but I love kids and I will be studying anything that involves kids. I have a huge passion for it and I can’t wait to explore it more. I have not learned anything new I want to major in besides working with children.
Blog # 19 Appreciations
I am thankful for my mentor who always is there for me and always finding something for me to work on and learn. I am honestly not excited about leaving because I have learned so much here and I love it so I wouldn’t want to leave. I am also thankful for the staff who are so welcoming and kind to me. They always helped me with anything I needed and some even came to my IPOL! I have gone through a lot of experiences with the kids and learned a lot about discipline when it comes to young kids. I have appreciated the importance of how special this place is and I appreciate every moment I learned something new and gained the knowledge of how not easy it is to work but when it comes to that aspect I found that it made me appreciate the internship even more. I did develop these ideas when seeing my mentor work so hard and have many things to do, of course I did help her with anything I could but i definitely saw the work she puts in. If I could take one thing away from this it would be how much I aspire to be like my mentor who puts so much effort and loves what she does.
Week # 4
Blog # 18 Characteristics & Life Beyond School
The day I started interning here I did not expect to be working as much as I do. I say that because I always want to work on something and not be sitting around and that is all thanks to my mentor who is very hard working. I do think she is not appreciated as much as she should be and I admire her hard work and how she is always on top of things. I was very fortunate to have the mentor that I do, she is always trying to help the staff and benefit them as a boss. As well as making sure she can do whatever she can to create connections between the staff. I do feel that whatever I will do in the future I want to work with the kids no matter what. This internship will influence me in ways where if I keep my love for kids in mind for my career path I know I will love what I do.
Blog # 17 My IPOL
For my IPOL I am using Prezi and the process for me was not difficult and I say that because I answered all the questions on the rubric then starting putting together all the photos and artifacts I would need. I am relying on my note cards but those all have bullet points because I will just go over all the points from my experience and remember what I have learned. New appreciations I have learned are no job is easy and to have a job you love their must always be work to be done. This is meaningful because sitting around most of the time isn’t a job and whatever I work on I know I want to do. My day to day responsibilities depend on the day. I am either working on my project planning or I go by a schedule of what class I will be working with. Overall in aftercare I am seen at as a regular staff member so I have responsibilities as everyone else and that is working with the kids and facilitating.
Blog # 16 Communication & Self Avocacy
When starting the internship I knew I would need to communicate with my lots of kids but when starting the internship there needed to be communication within all staff and it was almost interesting that there is lots of collaboration when it comes to creating activities for the kids. I know how important it is to have communication especially when you have ideas to give and I've learned that. Everyday I always have questions for mentor and that regardless to anything that needs to be done or going over my lesson plans and how my lessons went. Also there is a huge difference between communicating within being a student and professional working environment and I have learned that from my mentor and how I handle situations differently.
Blog # 15 My Project!
From the beginning I was basing my project on the kids. For me to find my project I had to get to know each grade level and get to know what the kids would want and how it would benefit them. My idea at first was to of course give a lesson but I had no clue what that would be. From the help of my Mentor and her experiences with aftercare she said I could teach them how to make certain foods. This idea didn't take action until I made a lesson plan and created a binder of all my research of foods to make and the materials I needed and the grade I would teach. Once I started these lessons I was overwhelmed by how great they turned out. The kids learned something and I was able to practice how to get their attention and give a lesson. I learned a lot from giving lessons, first was I am able to not be shy and answer any questions they have but I also learned I need to first act as I am a teacher and not a friend. I say that because I have had experience with kids who sometimes don’t want to listen and I wait until they calm down but I need to make sure I can discipline them so they know they need to pay attention. A solution of course is learning how to say theses in not a rude way but a way that will make them understand that I am the adult and what I say needs to happen when I am giving lesson plays rather than them laughing and making it harder on everyone. I have gained a lot from these lessons and planning out my lessons. Not only was it fun going through the process but I learned how to work on things I love but making sure everything came out professional.
Week # 3
Blog # 14 Intern Week VS School Week
While working at my internship the time has been the most different. On a normal school day I would wake up at 6:30 am to head to school and lunch at 11:40 to 12:25. I would end the day at 3:25, however with this internship I get in at 10:30 am with a lunch from 2:00 to 2:35 and end my day at 6:00. My responsibilities in school are to listen and contribute my ideas and questions and with the internship it's similar however I am surrounded by people who are very motivating and of course around younger kids and this has influenced my life in many ways and I do see now that whatever career I take I want to involve kids. In school I always had ideas and loved working in groups and in the internship you need to speak your ideas to create activities for the kids. I work a lot with staff who are very helpful and I am so thankful for them. Education wise I know how to create plans for myself as student. I also have picked up on some qualities my mentor has. She tends to always find a task to work on that benefit everyone. I can honestly say that quality I have picked up on because I never like to sit and do nothing I always find a task to help her or create ideas and work on my project planning or project. I do want to say that working with these kids has made me beyond happy and everyday I am always excited to work with them what I do to help the staff and create lessons for them. I don't know how to explain the feelings of always being motivated and happy. Being with this kids at this internship is beyond education for me, I see this internship as a path I know I will be happy in.
Blog #13 LessonsAn experience would be all my project planning and from that I will take the skill of making sure I have a plan before taking action. I always find whenever I go straight into a project I am never happy with my final project. These past few weeks I have been learning a lot and taking that with me on the next day. For example before starting my project I did a lot of project planning and making sure everything benefited for everyone. Learning this skill I know I will take this with me when doing school work. I am not someone who can do just anything for a project. I do want my friends and family to be proud of my work so learning how to plan before has been a huge skill that does help me want to create something that is worth putting all my effort.
Blog #12 ChallengesI challenge I face is having the kids connect with me and trusting me with anything they need. I have learned that it comes with time and them becoming familiar with me. In the program there are many challenges they the staff face everyday but one specifically would be when kids don''t want to follow directions and that makes it harder on the staff when we need them to be somewhere. However this does happen a lot but the staff always pulls them aside and disciplines them. Also I've seen my mentor talk to children who go against the rules and she was patient and finds a punishment that will make them understand to never create problems like that again.
Blog #11 My fellow InternsI commented on Aspen, Lilliana and Elizabeth.
As I was looking through the blogs I saw that lots of students are interacting in their job. An example would be Lilliana who is working with the animals and caring for them. It is always good to see that there is interaction. I also saw that they are learning more about their career path. Even if that means they see themselves being active so their internship is perfect or maybe they realize they see themselves doing something different regardless all helpful. I can relate to that because I know I want to work with kids and something it is stressful but I love working with kids and prepping and planning. However questions I have maybe for them would be do they see themselves doing this as a real job when they are older or something they would study in college? A question about my internship and myself would I see myself doing this in the long hall? Blog #10 My FutureI have always wanted to teach but never took action however when I remembered that our school gave us such an amazing opportunity to take on an internship I knew I had to make sure I picked an internship that benefited this idea. I do have to say since being here it has changed my mind but not in another career if anything it has made me want this even more. I say change because before I wanted to teach high school but now I couldn’t imagine not being with elementary students. I love being around this much energy. To be honest I know following this path won’t be the best pay but I want a job I will love everyday and I have not had one day coming here not excited to meet new kids and learn more about the program.
Blog #9 Social Interactions At my internship workplace I do lots of socializing when I am trying to get to know the staff and the kids as well. It would be very weird of me to stay quiet when this job requires you to get to know the staff and kids on many levels. This internship wouldn't be fun if I didn’t have the staff being very outgoing and loving what they do. Also keeping in mind that to know what the schedule looks like there must be lots of communication. During the day it is Ms.Q and I in her office going over the activities or I am working on my project or any work to be done before aftercare begins however once aftercare starts we are always outside or in a classroom doing activities so of course not all the staff is in one place. No one is ever alone since having one staff member for a lot of kids isn't easy so no one is isolated. Another part of aftercare is coming up with ideas for the kids and sometimes two staff members do these ideas for the kids. I have always felt that with collaboration there comes great work and this is how the organization works. By creating a fun environment with collaboration and great ideas.
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MondayWorking on my Binder!!
TuesdayRainy day schedule so movie day with all the staff and after care kids.
WednesdayGave my second lesson on this day and created smoothies!!
ThursdayMy mentor explains the schedule for the staff and how she can make the schedule easy to understand for the staff so they know where they need to be.
Friday SelfiePlaying Table Tennis with the kids in aftercare and the new staff member!! His first day!
Monday SelfieIn this photo I am printing out photos for my project binder.
Tuesday SelfieOn this day the staff and myself went outside with the kids to play until their parents are here to pick them up. The walkie I have is to hear who's parents are here so I can call them in.
Wednesday SelfieIn this photo I am with some staff members and some kids from after care watching a movie. At this time we are watching over the kids until their parents call them out.
Thursday SelfieIn this photo I am with another staff member making a sample of a crunch wrap supreme. I say sample because for my lessons I am teaching the kids food recipes and before I give my lessons I want to plan out how long they will take and the exact materials or if it worked. In this case it did and I can't wait for the kids to make it!
Friday SelfieIn this photo I am in after care with the staff taking care of the kids.
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Week # 2
Blog #8 My Project
For my project I will be giving four lessons, one each day to a specific grade. I wanted to do this project to practice the skills i’ve learned on how to teach a class and make sure everyone is involved and learning.. Teaching is something I have always had a passion for but to practice these skills is scary but I am excited to put all the planning i've done to the test. However in these past weeks I have been shadowing each grade to see what grade fits best for my frist time teaching these lessons. I have also created a binder of all my lesson plans and schedule for the month.. I was lucky enough to have such a great mentor that created a schedule for me to go by for these past and following weeks. I will be doing these projects in the after care program and by doing this I know this is benefiting the kids by doing something fun as well as learining something new. Also for my final product I will have my binder full of my lesson plans and drafts of ideas I made before and will be recording at least two of my lessons.
Lessons Plans & Schedule |
Daily Schedule |
Blog #7 Benefits
Being a youth leader in the before and after care program has benefits that can vary depending on your career path. For example anyone who works here can have growth if they wanted to lets say be a teacher. I would also say the parents and kids benefit because many parents need a program to take care of their child. We always make sure they are having fun but also doing what they are supposed to be doing.. What happens here is very simple, kids who are in the program stay and we provide them with activities and snacks. If I had to explain what I did I would say I fasilite the kids while of course getting to know them. The way that the co-worker's benefit is by working up ranks and learning how each grade has different habits. I have heard from my mentor how employees working here can always expect growth.
Blog #6 Getting To Know my Co-Workers!
Micheael:
I was lucky enough to get to know a coworker named Michael. Michael has successfully finished high school and described his career path as wanting to find a stable job for the future. Some examples he gave me was going to the navy or an office job. Currently he is a youth group leader for before and after care.. I do have to stay from interning here I can see how much energy he brings when he enters the room. I've have been able to see how he interacts with the kids and I can say he always tries to make them laugh and brings that energy with the kids.
(I was informed he does not like tkaing photos so I wrote down a septrate co-worker and took a photo.)
(I was informed he does not like tkaing photos so I wrote down a septrate co-worker and took a photo.)
Dixie:
Growing up she went to a private school all throughout elementary and high school. Then after and currently is attending point loma Nazarene and studying psychology. Growing up she worked her hardest to leave New Mexico and she did. For her career path she explained that after graduating she would love to be a teacher for a few years. She also wants to get her masters and work at a non profit organization with kids. Dixie at the moment is a youth group leader that advises kids in the before and after school care program.
Week # 1
Blog Post #5 My First Week
It's only been my first week but I have been enjoying every minute. My mentor is very hard working and I can't help but look up to her,. One of the things that has surprised me is how everyone who works here want's to be here. As well as myself and I couldn't be more happy. I have been figuring out what grade level to do my project on and I've been shadowing a lot of grades but within that I have met many bright kids. They always have a story to tell or lots of questions to ask. However something that has surprised me the most is the kids. They have such good hearts and without even knowing my name they hug me and always make it a goal to treat me as all the other employes here.
Blog Post #4 High Tech Elementary's Mission
The mission is to educate kids through project based learning, teaching students grade k-5.This mission is very similar to my school however they teach with patience seeing as children tend to need to be taught very different. I have seen this by using many different types of activities to teach and keep the kids happy and entertained while still learning. I am lucky enough to create my own project based ideas and that will be my project for internship. I am very excited to see how the kids will react and excited to keep seeing these projects and creating more of mine.
Blog Post #3 My Mentor
My Mentors name is Quoize alcantara. She has always said to be kind and give back. So much so she volunteers with helping the homeless or working with kids. Growing up she lived with both her parents and two sisters. I have learned from today she is also very smart and hard working and always making sure everyone is where they need to be. I have already learned this from doing the mentor interview questions that education wise she first went to study nutrition. However to fast forward she got a job at first at high tech middle but from there she grew. Having the job she has now and seeing all this has made me so happy and it's only been one day. I am very excited and already have made relationships with so many people.
Blog Post #2 My Internship HOPES, DREAMS AND FEARS
Hopes |
Dreams |
Fears |
I hope to gain a better idea on how to work with children as well as taking my skills and using them for my internship. Specifically communication and patience with the kids. I also hope to better understand this field and learn if this is a job I would want to pursue in the future.
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One of my dreams is to really connect with the kids and find a project that means more to them then me. I say that because I want to impact them in a way they can learn and not hate it. I also dream to love the internship more than I already do and crossing my fingers I won’t miss them too much when I leave.
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A fear of mine is not being able to connect with the kids. However I will try my best and ask questions to my mentor as I have always feared to ask questions. Another fear is that maybe there won’t be enough work but if I share that fear with my mentor I know there will be work that needs to be done.
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Blog Post #1 Site Vist -
Walking in I felt very nervous but after meeting my mentor and going over all the plans I was just so excited. Majority of what I learned is from interviewing my mentor. I got to know more about what a normal day at work is like. I am very pleased with my internship and securing one so I just can't wait for january. The reflection I have would be just now having a better understanding of what my day is going to be like. When I was talking to my mentor and discussing the project ideas I felt I was going towards teaching a lesson however she did say I am going to work with each grade to figure out what grade I want to teach. I can’t say there is much to talk about, today I have finally figured out that this internship is right for me. However before starting this january I do want to focus on figuring out my specific project but that will of course depends on what grade.
Mentor Interview Questions
What is a typical workday like?/ Main duties and Responsibilities?
-Check email
-Checking Invoices
-Seeing the schedules for the day
-Taking care of payments
-Managing supplies
Tell us about the path in getting where you are today- what is your educational history and work experience prior to working here?
-Went to college for three years (studied liberal studies)
Why did you choose to work here?
-Knew she wanted to working with kids
What qualifications do employees need to be successful here and how are those qualifications acquired?
-Background in working with children
-60 college units
What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important to be successful here?
-Organization -Communication with all grade levels
-Calm -Adapt
What advice do you have working here?
-Patience -Everyone child is different so being patient is key
-Open mind
What projects do employees do for the company
-Everyday is different
-Monday cooking
-Science experiments
-Math games (coloring by number/math bing0)
Of all these projects ideas, which seem most appealing and appropriate and why?
-The most appealing would be giving a math or cooking lesson
-At this moment I don't want to choose specifically because I will be working with each grade to see what grade I want to work with to adapt skills and see what project works best for that specific grade
-Check email
-Checking Invoices
-Seeing the schedules for the day
-Taking care of payments
-Managing supplies
Tell us about the path in getting where you are today- what is your educational history and work experience prior to working here?
-Went to college for three years (studied liberal studies)
Why did you choose to work here?
-Knew she wanted to working with kids
What qualifications do employees need to be successful here and how are those qualifications acquired?
-Background in working with children
-60 college units
What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important to be successful here?
-Organization -Communication with all grade levels
-Calm -Adapt
What advice do you have working here?
-Patience -Everyone child is different so being patient is key
-Open mind
What projects do employees do for the company
-Everyday is different
-Monday cooking
-Science experiments
-Math games (coloring by number/math bing0)
Of all these projects ideas, which seem most appealing and appropriate and why?
-The most appealing would be giving a math or cooking lesson
-At this moment I don't want to choose specifically because I will be working with each grade to see what grade I want to work with to adapt skills and see what project works best for that specific grade