I have grown confident in my ability to help students. Even though my practicum experience had its' difficulties, I feel I have still learned how to handle students who are not motivated to work. I feel that having my own class is also a factor, because certain strategies will be developed and understood from the beginning when you have an established class of your own. When we initially set our classroom up to certain expectations, progress is easier to accomplish. I also feel that a project such as the one we did during the semester with the Apache kids, is a project that requires some background in specific skills. I feel it was extremely difficult to expect students to stand up and perform a story they made, when they have never presented anything in class. Slowly building students to take different perspectives, present material, and orally tell a story is something, I feel, takes much more time than what was available to us. I feel this is why this project was so difficult for most of us UNM coaches. Apache students did not feel they were being held accountable for this project, and I also think accountabilty would have brought value to this project as well. Through this whole experience, I have learned the value of such a project. I would also do things differently had this been my own class the whole year long. I still have to say that I learned many things I would like to do as well as things I would do differently in this experience.
I have gained knowledge in the course because I will never forget all of the various experiences that we were able to have, and this knowledge can't ever be taken from me because it was much more personal than memorizing a text book. The skills and strategies I have gained will help me learn to build relationships and trust within my diverse classroom, so that learning can prevail. I have gained so much from my experiences; my emerging knowledge has only led me to think toward my future classroom and what to expect with a diversity of students. The use of this webiste has really led me to reflect on the present as well as the future. And, as I move forward toward my progress of becoming a teacher, i will be able to look back and reflect because I have left my reflections in print.
As a final evaluation, I have gained great personal experiences that I will be able to reflect on in the future. Practice now will only improve my future teaching when I have my own classroom.
I would suggest to the teacher to keep the community connections because they were apart of the personal experiences that I will never forget, and will use in my future teaching career. I would consider adjusting the practicum project, taking into consideration the issues many of the UNM coaches had to deal with. For example, holding the Apache students accountable for their presentations. Perhaps only doing this project in the fall semester due to the fact that in the spring three weeks are reserved for state testing. If any way possible, more than one hour a week to work with the students. It was hard to re-gear the students to work on the Chautauqua after not being able to see them for a whole week.
As for my grade, I feel I have fulfilled any and all requirements for the class. I attended every class, and put great effort toward providing my input, as well as accepting other inputs. I maintained an open mind, and gained alot of great knowledge.