First Weekly Review

This week was a very enlightening one.  I found a routine in each day, but it never got old or boring.  Each day began with some kind of morning preparations followed by morning announcements.  Then I had a section of time where I was either doing intern work or helping one child with homework.  Snack group was the next activity, followed by my five lunch groups.  These groups ate, talked, and played.  It was a time for the kids to relax and feel safe in a non judgmental atmosphere.  After the lunch groups there were usually some guidance classes or math classes with which I assisted.  This general schedule kept me working at all times and never left a moment to become bored.  Each day presented its own challenges and had its own twists, so even though the set-up sounded the same there were always new lessons to teach and surprise visits to spice up the day.

My favorite part about working with Mrs. Theroux is learning how to teach classes. It is amazing to watch Mrs. Theroux take a broad topic, such as opinions or wellness, and transform it into a fourth or fifth grade, hour-long lesson.  She chooses what importance she wants the children to learn from her class and picks out materials that help get the students interactive and having fun in an academic setting.  I have decided that after working with Mrs. Theroux for a week, I would like to change some of my goals. For a final goal, I would like to present my own lesson.  I would like to do what Mrs. Theroux does everyday, and show how I reached my end product and why I chose what I did for my lesson.  Learning how to deliver an important message to students is crucial for them to understand as well as to act on.

I learned that Mrs. Theroux’s job is very dynamic. She not only works with students in the first through fifth grade, but she also works with the adults in the community. She has mastered how to coach, guide, and counsel students, as well as teach lessons on important topics.  She also helps students one-on-one with their studies, with problems going on in their lives, and with teaching discovery math groups.  She knows how to address problems one-on-one, in pairs, in small groups, and in the classroom.  She knows the difference in the maturity level for each grade, and can adapt her tone to suit the appropriate age group.  There is never a dull day in Mrs. Theroux’s life. She always is moving and working and adapting to the people around her at a fast rate.  I hope to learn how to do all of what Mrs. Theroux can do, and I believe with a lot of work I will eventually reach my goals.

The hardest part of my project is the adaptation.  It is hard for me to distinguish what is too stern with one child versus another, or what may be too complicated for them to understand.   Even within the same grade there are four or five classes, and each class has a wide verity of maturity levels.  Some students can handle advice better than others, while other students exaggerate stories for attention and sympathy.  In the short time I have been with Mrs. Theroux, I am hoping to be able to adjust to these different levels and help a variety of age groups, instead of just learning how to address the fourth and fifth grades.

I have loved working with Mrs. Theroux this past week.  She is a great influence on me and has shown me that I can be a leader.  Before I began my senior project I was not much of a leader here on campus.   I was too afraid and not confident enough to step up in situations in which I can now see myself taking control.  I hid in my room all the time, scared to meet other Proctor students.  I never stepped up and took AP classes because I was terrified of failing.  After one week working with Mrs. Theroux, I have become a leader and role model to at least six students.  I have taken on a challenge and am putting myself out there to be judged each day.  I am helping students who I see lacking confidence because I do not want them to enter middle school, and then high school,  afraid of challenges or of meeting new people.  I am hoping this number of students who look up to me will continue to grow.  I wish with all my heart that I can touch these students and help them to be the best they can be.  I anticipate another great week ahead. My goal for this coming week is to continue to help Mrs. Theroux, by being there for students, academically and socially, when she is busy with her own meetings and guidance work.