High School:
I went to high school at New Egypt High School in New Egypt, NJ. In high school, I took senior seminar which was College and Career Readiness. Through this course, I was able to intern at Dr. Gerald H. Woehr Elementary School in New Egypt, NJ. I was able to job shadow a Special Education teacher during her Learning and/or Language Disabilities class. The class was comprised of six students, two in third grade, two in fourth grade, and two in fifth grade. In this classroom, I worked one-on-one with the students to assist them with understanding their quizzes/tests, I corrected assignments, worked with students on their math and reading work, and decorated the doors/windows/walls in and out of the classroom. This experience made me realize that I wanted to be a Special Education teacher and have my own class some day.
HS Internship Projects:
College Field Experience:
During my freshman year, I was placed in a Special Education resource classroom in Marion Intermediate School in Marion, SC. I was able to observe a Special Education teacher with four different classes. Each student in the classes worked on different assignments as they were all at different reading levels. Some students were mute, some had Autism, and some were reading many grade-levels behind their own. Each class was either fourth or fifth grade. I was able to work one-on-one with one student that was in fourth grade reading at a first-grade level. These students were incredibly smart and always knew when to ask for help. They all knew exactly how they worked best, what they were great at, and what they struggled with. Their teacher was incredible and it was evident that she really cared about her students. This experience taught me that all students are capable of anything that they set their mind to and that they really rely on their teacher to make the best decision for their academic careers.
My Observances:
My Educational Philosophy:
My anchor philosophy is Social Reconstructionism. I believe that students should learn not only state and nationwide required curriculum, but also social issues. Many students themselves are faced with social injustices, whether that be for gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class. Students should be exposed to social injustices and learn about everything, even if they cannot, personally, relate. Sometimes students that are not affected can still come up with ideas for a resolution. My second philosophy is Progressivism. In a Progressivist classroom students are the focus of the classroom and the teacher encourages them to actively engage with material. This allows students to get involved in the classroom and actually want to be involved, rather than being called on by their teacher. It creates a more inviting classroom, which is something that I would like to have.
In special education, there's too much emphasis placed on the deficit and not enough on the strength." -Temple Grandin