Sarah Bailey participated in practicum for teaching elementary education in EL ED 330.
What type of projects did you work on as part of your experiential learning course?
In my experiential learning course, I participated in a 4-week long practicum experience as part of the elementary education major. I compiled lessons plans for each day, taught whole-group instruction, conducted a read-aloud with the 1st graders, and learned about professional and ethical behavior by interviewing and conversing with the faculty.
What day to day tasks were part of this experience?
Each day, I created a lesson plan and had it approved by my mentor teacher before I gave the lesson to her students. I also conducted small math groups, read aloud, and assisted with students during their independent study time.
What did you learn unexpectedly?
I learned about the importance of consistency and assertiveness as part of classroom management. I also was surprised to learn that teaching requires much more problem-solving than I realized! It's a challenging profession, but one that I'm passionate about.
How was this experience influenced your career goals?
I've always wanted to be a teacher, and this experience gave me a more accurate vision of what it means to be an educator. I still have a deep desire to teach, but I now know how to accurately prepare myself to become an effective educator.
What types of new opportunities are now available because of the experience?
I have a lot more connections with the school district than I did before this experience! I have resources to turn to, mentors who will continue to support me, and I have a greater understanding of the Alpine school district. I can confidently say that I've had experience in an elementary classroom, which will help me as I apply to be a substitute teacher for the Nebo school district this semester.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Practicum was a very eye-opening experience! The teaching profession is a wonderful and amazing career to go into, but it does require more time and effort than I previously thought.
