Rachel Dent

During this position, I cared for a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. I was with the children in their home, as their parents completed classes. I was with the children from the morning until late afternoon. I organized activities for the children to do each day, frequently going out of the house. Each day, I prepared lunch for the children and ate alongside them. I also managed a nap, or "rest" time, in which the children were in their rooms napping or playing for 45 minutes to an hour. Additionally, I managed bathroom needs and aided in potty training. This position continued throughout the fall. During the fall, I attended the children's home on several evenings a month. During this time, I organized activities, prepared meals, aided in bathing, and began the nighttime routine for the children.I currently still work with this family and provide services to their need!

• Provided attentive and nurturing care for children ranging in age from infants to pre-teens
• Maintained open communication with parents, providing regular updates on their child's well-being and daily activities.
• Followed specific dietary restrictions and prepared nutritious meals and snacks for children
• Engaged children in educational playtime activities, promoting cognitive development and creativity
• Managed bedtime routines, ensuring children were settled comfortably for a restful night's sleep
• Organized fun outings to parks, museums, libraries, or other recreational facilities to encourage socialization and exploration
• Built strong relationships with families through trustworthiness, reliability, and professionalism

1. Twice a week, every single week of the fall semester.

2. Two full weeks at the beginning of the semester (one before students arrive and one with students present) and one full week towards the end of the semester, in November.

3. Duties:

• Lesson planning- Here, I mostly followed the curriculum and designed my lessons. Frequently, I taught curriculum content but presented it in a different way than what was provided to me. I enhanced the lessons and designed them to meet my student’s needs, while still teaching the same content. During each of my lesson plans, I included differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. My plans included direct individualized instruction for each student with an IEP (individualized educational plan) or a 504 plan. Each plan included activating background knowledge, before/during/after explicit instruction actions, the lesson's connection to standards and the objective, informal assessments throughout the lesson,n and assessments before and after the lesson. After each fully designed and implemented lesson, I reflected on each lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved upon.
• Implementing behavior management strategies- Through discussion between my peers, professors, and mentor teacher, I gained knowledge of a large vocabulary of behavior and time management strategies. Throughout the internship, I tested out and implemented several different strategies.
• Taking over teaching- this was a gradual process. I started teaching one subject and built upon that. By the end of the semester, I was teaching the entire day.
• Form relationships with students- Because I began the school year with students, I was able to get to know students and bond relationships with each of them. I got to know each student’s abilities and needs. I worked directly with each student, understood their home life, met some of their parents, and taught to their needs.
• Parent-teacher conferences- I had the opportunity to observe and partake in a few parent-teacher conferences. I was exposed to the speed and nature of these conferences. I learned what is important to include and how to present it to families. This also allowed me to form strong relationships with the students’ families, resulting in a sense of mutual trust. On the other side, I got to witness introducing parents to student needs, in which they may need more support.
• SLO- during this semester, I chose a group of students who all had a common need. I planned and implemented six different small group lessons for this group of students. Each lesson taught content related to their area of growth. Students’ progress was monitored by a pre-assessment, short assessments after each lesson, and a post-assessment. After the lessons, I completed a report in which the area of growth was addressed and fully explored, support strategies that were research-based were discussed, the nature of the students and the lessons were presented, the outcomes of the SLO were discussed, and future actions for this group were provided. This project was then presented to my mentor teacher.

In this position, I spent extended time providing one-on-one instruction to students in special education who were being educated in a general education classroom. During this time, I followed students' needs and accommodations to guide them through the lessons that the teacher was presenting. I aided the teacher in preparing for lessons to individualize instruction for my students. My daily work duties included providing students with additional strategies, keeping them on task, differentiating instruction, scribing, giving students breaks as needed, and ensuring that my students were succeeding in the general education classroom. I formed strong connections among the teachers and staff at this school. I spent an extended time in kindergarten, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade. This not only exposed me to different levels of instruction, but also allowed me to become well-versed in the early childhood education field. It allowed me to bond with different types of educators and understand different students' individual needs. Finally, it gave me an understanding of differentiated instruction in a general education classroom.

1. Once a week, every single week of the spring semester.

2. One full week at the end of the semester

3. Duties:

• Lesson planning- Here, I mostly followed the curriculum and designed my lessons. Frequently, I taught curriculum content but presented it in a different way than what was provided to me. I enhanced the lessons and designed them to meet my student's needs, while still teaching the same content. During each of my lesson plans, I included differentiated instruction and universal design for learning. My plans included direct individualized instruction for each student with an IEP (individualized educational plan) or a 504 plan. Each plan included activating background knowledge, before/during/after explicit instruction actions, the lesson's connection to standards and the objective, informal assessments throughout the lesson, and assessments before and after the lesson. After each fully designed and implemented lesson, I reflected on each lesson, discussing what went well and what could be improved upon.
• Implementing behavior management strategies- Through discussion between my peers, professors, and mentor teacher, I gained knowledge of a large vocabulary of behavior and time management strategies. Throughout the internship, I tested out and implemented several different strategies.
• Taking over teaching- this was a gradual process. I started teaching one subject and built upon that. By the end of the semester, I was teaching the entire day.
• Attend special education meetings- I had the opportunity to sit in on several of my student's IEP and 504 meetings. I saw the initiation and implementation of a 504 plan, among other varying meetings. Additionally, I witnessed the actions for implementation that were discussed in the meetings begin to take place in the classroom, which led me to see the students benefit from the plan.

As an adult assistant, I aided the teacher in caring for the children. I worked with children ages 2 - 3. While at the center, I spent time potty training and guiding students during lessons. I was mainly an aid to the teacher as she lesson-planned, taught, and cared for the children. Here, I was also exposed to infants- age 1.5 as well. When caring for the infants, I bottle-fed them and put them to bed for nap time. I interacted with all the children through exploratory play.

• Assisted in leading and organizing activities for children such as arts, crafts, games and reading stories.
• Provided supervision and care to young children ranging from infants to pre-school age.
• Helped with mealtime preparation and cleanup including serving food, setting tables, washing dishes.
• Ensured safety of the children by monitoring their play areas and activities throughout the day.
• Maintained classroom cleanliness by tidying up toys, wiping down surfaces and vacuuming rugs.
• Developed positive relationships with parents through communication about their child's daily activities.
• Supported teachers in planning lessons that were developmentally appropriate for each age group.
• Encouraged socialization among peers by facilitating interactions between kids during outdoor playtime.
• Worked collaboratively with other staff members to ensure a safe environment for all students.

• Engaged children in arts and crafts, singing, sports activities, games and field trips while maintaining safe environment.
• Established and built relationships with campers to ease fears in new environment.
• Monitored activities matched to individual and group abilities to keep campers safe.
• Provided positive and authoritative approach to guiding behavior by using age-appropriate limits and choices.

• Coordinated and led group activities for campers and counselors.
• Assisted homesick children, actively listening to concerns and providing emotional support.
• Enforced discipline and policies to protect safety of recreational activity participants.
• Monitored for signs of physical and emotional distress and stopped activities to administer care when appropriate.