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Reading about "how to teach children" can only take you so far; MATA508 and the Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) will offer you an invaluable opportunity to build relationships with students and help them grow before your eyes! In this blog post, I will help prepare you for your first MATA course and what you can expect from your time with LPP. I am truly excited to share my experiences with you and the wonderful insights I have gained.

During my time with the Liberty Partnerships Program, I had the privilege to work with Poughkeepsie High School students each Thursday. LPP allows you to develop your skills by working with students of all abilities. The students who come may change from week to week, so you have to be flexible and prepared to think on your feet!

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One of the most important lessons I learned is to meet students where they are to help them reach their full potential. Although I am an adolescent history major, my favorite experience was helping a student with their Algebra I homework. The student I worked with struggled with basic math computations such as adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers; however, she demonstrated an understanding of the steps of the factoring polynomials process. The student lacked confidence; but when I created a number line for her to use, she was able to complete the basic computations and finish the problems independently with minimal errors. After my last session with the student, she thanked me for my help and expressed that she felt more comfortable in her math class as a result of the tools we created together.

Another insight I gained was how to connect with students to establish a positive student-teacher rapport. By bonding over similar interests is a wonderful way to get students to come out of their shells. I was thrilled at the chance to work with two students who needed help with their French homework. The students expanded their vocabulary and improved their sentence construction skills as we talked about their interests and my experiences studying at the Sorbonne in Paris

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This experience is what you make of it!

My first piece of advice to you is to take full advantage of the opportunities you encounter. My favorite activity of MATA508 was the Workshop with our LPP students. It is extremely rewarding to see your students enjoy an activity you created and are passionate about. Take the time to think about how you can make your activity meaningful to both your students and your content area; it makes a difference. Your excitement encourages student motivation and participation!

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My second piece of advice is to remember some students will take time to feel comfortable with you; do not give up on them! On my first day, the students were quiet and reluctant to engage; however, towards the end when I asked if students would like to play a board game one student suggested chess. As we played chess, the student relaxed and became more talkative about other interests they enjoy. The next week the same student requested a re-match.