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I do not currently have other scholarships to complete.

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To prepare for PSSAs, my mentor teachers spent time reviewing past PSSA questions. Along with this, they administered a practice exam and displayed use of the tools offered during the exam.

My role during 5th grade PSSAs is working as an extra aid in the life skills class. Once 5th grade begins testing, I will be monitoring the bathrooms and hallways.

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Working at Fairview has been a life changing experience. It has paved the way to my future and unlocked a passion for building connections and inspiring change as a mentor for younger students. With this being said, being paid and officially employed at the school has been part of the impact. This has allowed me to be seen with value and respect, to be included in a handful of staff events and meetings. I have had many opportunities during my employment that I do not believe I would have had if I were there as a volunteer. With that being said, the pay also fuels my desire to show up in a timely manner everyday, and to do tasks and step up to the best of my ability. Working as a student specialist has proved to be a much different experience from volunteering as a senior project.

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“How does your mentor teacher build relationships with students? How do you build relationships with students.”

Mrs Harman and Mr Wick have unique approaches to building connections with students. Mrs Harman seems to look for common interests along with showing interest in each students activities outside of school. Mr Wick largely uses humor to build relationships with students, during group lessons and small groups. The students in both classes seem receptive to these approaches.

I try to incorporate both styles based on the student. With some students, I take a friendly approach, with others I try humor or common interests. Overall, I try to be understanding and supportive of each student while allowing them to lead the tone of our relationship.

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I added pictures of the visual aids available for students in my classrooms. Although the students frequently referred to these tools at the beginning of the year, I no longer see many students looking at them as they are things that we have now gone over. They are not necessarily hands on, but useful for when students need a reminder.

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At Fairview their is a WIN program, however I am not present during that period to work with students.

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9:00 || Arrival

9:00-10:00 || Grade papers and observe daily lesson

10:00-11:00 || Work with math small groups on areas of need

11:00-11:30 || Lunch

11:30-12:00 || 5th grade lunch duty

12:00-12:15 || Clean lunch tables and floor

12:15-12:45 || 6th grade lunch duty

12:45-1:15 || 6th grade recess duty

1:15-2:30 || Observe afternoon class, work with small groups if time allows.

Please note, this schedule is subject to change depending on teacher needs.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Mrs Harman

Tuesday, Thursday: Mr Wick

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Yes, the students use technology on an everyday basis in the classroom. Technology has a different purpose between the two classes I work in. In Class 1, many instructions and activities are projected onto the whiteboard or given via iPad. Students can access and complete assignments on Schoology. Class 2 also uses technology to project lessons, but many activities are hands-on rather than done on iPads. This separation is due to students' needs and work for each class.

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Something that isn't specific, but surely is special, is the connections I have developed with the students at Fairview. Just as I hoped, the students have shaped my everyday life, and they truly treat me like a celebrity. More specifically, having the opportunity to work 1-1 with students, per their request, has been eye-opening to the impact that I can make. In simple terms, the most special thing I have experienced is the connection with students.

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The most productive thing that I have done at Fairview is reimplimenting the hydroponics systems, allowing students the opportunity for further science enrichment. So far this has been VERY successful.

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The teaching strategies I most frequently observe would be whole-group instruction and small-group instruction. Although Mrs Harman is very intentional with her teaching strategies, and flexible depending on if the strategy is working for the unit. Mrs Harman looks to highlight areas of need; therefore, she is very intentional with her lesson planning day to day.

Personally, I typically work 1-1 with students or in a small group. When I am working with students, I feel that 1-1 is the most effective as the students I work with typically need extra attention. When oberserving Mrs. Harman, I think that small group works best to ensure that everyone is engaged.

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In my opinion, the class transitions independently. In place of a transition, Mrs Harman typically offers time warnings. But most of the time, the students know what time mods switch and are able to self pace. I think that this works best for the grade level they are at.

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To get the student's attention, Mrs. Harman has a doorbell that she rings. Once the doorbell rings, the students get quiet in hopes of hearing a "horseshoe".

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Something that has impressed me is the skills of certain students. When you are in the class, you typically don’t know the specific skill level of other students. So, seeing the class from a wide lens view allows me to observe the very wide range of skill levels. With this being said, I have also been impressed by Mrs. Harman’s ability to adapt to each student.

My biggest struggle so far has been addressing issues with the children. For example, if a student is acting inappropriately, I am unsure of how to age appropriately address the situation. Along with this, I struggle to ”discipline” or tell the students no because I feel bad.

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Mrs. Harman’s classroom has many flexible seating options. There are stools, high chairs with wheels, floor cushions, and regular chairs. Chairs remain at certain tables which students are allowed to choose from. It seems that there were not many issues due to the large variety of seating options. When I was younger, we were sometimes given the option to choose our seats. But the options were limited between regular desks (with chairs sometimes connected) and the floor. I believe that flexible seating and a variety of options is helpful to many students, but distracting to some.

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My first week impressions were on a large scale. Personally, I initially struggled to adjust to the new environment that an intermediate school offers. This includes but is not limited to: Lunchroom environment, my role as a student specialist, classroom expectations, dress code, etc. I found myself with many questions, and the students with even more. Going into week two, I became more comfortable with my personal expectations, but I struggled to speak to students and really step into my roll. At this point in my internship, I feel like students are unsure of my role, as am I at times. With this being said, I believe this is due to it still being early in the school year. With time, I believe that we will all fall into our routine and understanding of each others roles. Until then, I am working to adjust and be the best that I can be.