Vassar Classroom Observation Report

I see myself contributing to various activities and programs that Vassar College has to offer, especially those that promote civic engagement. By tutoring at the Smith Early Learning Center, I have provided underprivileged children with additional academic support, and I hope to continue my efforts in supporting other students in my community through the Urban Education

Before arriving on the campus of the University of Indianapolis, several people in my immediate family and I ended our summer with a vacation that will forever be remembered. We traveled to the Grand Canyon where we hiked 9 miles down, along with hiking 9 miles back up. At this time I had several different feelings pulling me in several directions in the anticipation of college: fear, confusion, and excitement. However, when I process my first semester one thing remains bouncing in my head, my family vacation prior to the start of the 2014 school year. College is much like the hike from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top. The higher I climb, the higher the stakes. As I continue to ascend the narrow, rocky, dirt path, the path gets

A little over three months ago, I, along with thousands of other freshmen, embarked on a scary, yet exciting new chapter in our lives. Most of us, myself included, thought that we were well prepared for our first classes as college students. If I were asked what I had learned during college, I would have a hard time stating anything other than useless facts related to my classes. My commonplace book includes posts from throughout the semester that express my progression as both a student and a person.

Coming from a small town where there is a total of five restaurants and one stop light, college wasn’t an expectation but instead a privilege. I am beyond blessed with the opportunity of attending such a prestigious college, considering I am a first-generation college student. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the love and support of my parents and professors.

When I first researched my options after high school, the possibility of attending a Liberal Arts College was far from my mind. However, the flipped classes and the ability to connect with classmates at Colorado College appealed to the way I learn. As someone who loves constructive discourse, the open environment I experienced on the College’s campus, coupled with the dedication to exploration, enticed me to apply. Features such as the unaffiliated chapel helped me realize that Colorado College pushed conventional thought and mirrored aspects of the high school experience I gained from the IB program. What made Colorado College one of my top options was my tour guide's description of how students aren’t at the school to compete with each other,

At the end of my AP Statistics, our teacher charged us with developing and carrying out a study using the techniques mastered throughout the course. Some groups studied the correlation between GPA and relationships, the school’s favorite ice cream flavor, and the average number of saltines a person could eat in a minute. My group agreed a more serious topic to undertake: sleep.

In developing my goals for my activity, I consulted the curriculum guide by The Albert Shanker Institute (2009), the HighScope curriculum (Epstein, 2012), and research by Dodge et al. (2002) describing preschool development. According to Dodge et al. (2002), there are four main areas of development that are relevant to preschool aged children: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. I will be focusing mainly on language and physical development, while briefly touching on cognitive development.

I contest with teary eyes that the people remind me that adjusting to college life is the hardest part, are wrong: leaving is. But then, in a second or two, I remember at once the new things college will present me with: amazing thought-provoking lectures, labs where I can investigate hands on with technology I’ve lusted to use, enough clubs to fuel my every interest, and—of course—a new community. I already have an advantage:I will be well equipped with secrets from a land far, far—no farther...yes, all the way at the tip of the

Transitioning from high school to college is always a struggle for any young adult. The idea of picking your own classes, living on campus, and separating from lifelong friends is extremely overwhelming to process. However, when transitioning to college you are now back in the underclassmen category and must work your way back up the “status ladder.” College opens up a new world that individuals must explore in order to make the best of their first year. But no matter what college we attend, our freshman year of college will always have a strong impact on our lives. Over the years as music, technology, television shows, and trends become different, our experiences and memories of freshman year will never change. So when interviewing my Great Aunt Arlene “Dudie” about her freshman year of college, I visualized her journey and what her experience was like attending Illinois State University beginning in June of 1977.

I have had many experiences that have taught me valuable lessons and changed my point of view while attending George Washington University. During my first semester, I have had the opportunity to trust student-written professor reviews, learn my professor, learn myself, and answer intriguing questions. Throughout my first semester at GW, I have had a collection of positive and negative occurrences that I have since attempted to study and analyze. From colonial inauguration to taking tests, college has been a journey that has ebbed and flowed.

After reading the email that sat within my inbox, I had discovered that I had been granted the opportunity to visit Wake Forest University, while participating in a program designed for rising juniors and seniors called LENS. My shyness and apprehension outweighed my initial yearning for what I presumed would be the college experience. I hadn’t anticipated the flight to North Carolina or the three weeks that I would have to spend with others who I had never met. As I arrived, I remember the swarm of parents that carried heaps of bags filled with their children’s clothing, whereas my parents were three thousand miles away. I had quickly decided that I no longer wanted to meet with other students and I awaited the plane ride back home, yet the

The moment that I discovered Simon’s Rock, I was inspired by the broad-minded and innovative foundation of the school. I had been spending an immense amount of time and energy in search of an institution that recognized the potential of young scholars and shifted the paradigm that one must be of a certain age before expanding their knowledge. Mid-day on January 27, 2014, I opened my e-mail account expecting to see a new message from the Brown University Summer Pre-College Program to which I was applying, only to discover something far greater than I had thought possible. In capitalized crimson letters, the email read, “START COLLEGE. NOW.” With these three simple words, I knew that my quest for higher education was not in vain.

The following data was gathered while fulfilling duties as a principal intern at Theresa Bunker Elementary School. The data was observed during five to seven minutes of classroom observation as part of a walk-through in the spring of the current school year. My cooperating supervisor for my internship was able to go on these walk-throughs with me in order to have a productive reflection meeting afterwards. This elementary school has two of each grade level from Kindergarten to sixth grade. Since it was more feasible in this small school setting, I actually was able to do a walkthrough in eight classes. Here I will report my observations from five of those walk-throughs. As I went in to each room I was looking for four

As I entered into the science room, the students were being given a science “dipstick” labeled “Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems”. This “dipstick” sums up the unit that the students have been working on where they created their ecosystem posters and determined which animals belong in each ecosystem. The teacher explained to the students that she calls these “dipsticks” instead of “tests” because these documents are more focused on seeing what they took away from the unit. She then read the pages of the “dipstick” so that they students could pay more attention to the science than the reading. During this time the teacher explained some background information about the students overall unit and what is needed to be taught according to the science curriculum.

As a rising senior, it’s easy to forget how many years have gone by since I arrived at Rutgers University. Accompanying those many years are memories of joy and hardship, which have provided valuable insight and promoted my growth. When I first arrived here on the banks, I came in timid and reserved. I had a large number of high school friends attending the school and had resolved to keep in touch with them rather than making new friends. In fact, if it were not for my roommate, I may not have even gotten close to some of the people in my first year residence hall. Beyond the sheer volume of students that came from my high school to Rutgers, I had grown up in a very diverse and opinionated city. My town, being one of the most diverse