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Page 1: Fillers portfolio

Initial Level

The Developmental Teaching Portfolio

Chelsea Fillers

Page 2: Fillers portfolio

Initial Level

The Developmental Teaching Portfolio

Chelsea Fillers

Elementary Education

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Clemmer College of Education

East Tennessee State University

Spring, 2014

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Table of Contents

SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Introduction

Working Resume

Statement of Philosophy

Program of Study

Unofficial Transcript

ACT or Praxis I Scores

SECTION TWO: SELECTED ENTRIES

Planning and Teaching Strategies:

Bloom’s Taxonomy Assignment

Lesson Plans

Actual Teaching:

Assessment and Evaluation:

Performance-Based Grading Rubric

Learning Environment:

Guided Observation #1- Contextual Factors

Guided Observation #2 – Physical Arrangements

Guided Observation #4- General Procedures

Professional Growth:

STEA Membership

Praxis 1 Workshop

Communication:

Letter to Parents

PBL Project

SECTION THREE: PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION

Field Placement Journals

Field Placement Evaluations

Timesheets

Concluding Reflection

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Section One:

Background Information

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Introduction

My name is Chelsea Fillers. I am currently working to get my Associates of Science degree in

teaching. My focus is Elementary Education K-6 at Walters State Community College. I will

continue my education at East Tennessee State University for two years. I plan to graduate from

Walters State Community College in May 2014. I am eager to start my teaching career and help

students explore their passion for learning. This is my Developmental Teaching Portfolio that

shows artifacts from my educational journey to gain my Associates of Science degree. The

information in this portfolio will show my learned experiences, hands on experiences, and

methods about teaching that I have learned throughout my schooling. This portfolio is just the

beginning of my teaching path. I look forward to adding to this portfolio and to the material I

have already obtained during my time at Walters State Community College. This portfolio will

be a helpful reference for ideas and advice I received during my education that I can apply daily

during my teaching career. Teachers are surrounded with many resources to use for material and

advice. This portfolio will be another one to add to my list of resources. I have high hopes for my

future in teaching and very eager to grow and learn as a professional.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Resume

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is a copy of my resume.

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Chelsea Dawn Fillers

1210 Horse Creek Park Road

Chuckey, TN 37641

(423)426-4359 / [email protected]

Professional Objective: To teach and guide children in our elementary schools.

Education:

2014-2016 Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education

East Tennessee State University

2009-2014 Associate of Science in Elementary Education

Walters State Community College

2005-2009 High School Diploma, Chuckey-Doak High School

Related Educational Experience/Professional Experience:

Spring 2014 Service Learning, Hal Henard Elementary School

First grade

Spring 2014 Service Learning, Hal Henard Elementary School

CDC Kindergarten- Fifth grade

Spring 2013 Service Learning, Hal Henard Elementary School

First grade

College Related Professional/ Academic/ Service Activities:

2013-2014 STEA Member

Additional Work Related Experience:

Jan. 2012-14 Greeneville City Schools, Greeneville, TN

Extended School Program Site Director

Nov. 2012-13 Children’s Center, Greeneville, TN

Substitute Teacher

Nov. 2012-13 Children’s Center, Greeneville, TN

Volunteer

June 2010-11 Signature Healthcare, Greeneville, TN

Rehab Tech

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Placement File:

Please contact the ETSU Career and Internship Services Office.

Website: http://www.etsu.edu/careers, BucLink

TEL: 423-439-4450

FAX: 423-439-6176

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Philosophy of Education

Date: Spring, 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my Philosophy of Education paper that I wrote in EDUC 2300

Introduction to Education class.

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My Philosophy of Education

There cannot be effective teachers without student learning. Teachers and students are a

partnership neither; one can succeed without the other. Negative attitudes in the classroom

can drain the creativity from students. Effective teachers are supposed to be the provider of

positive attitudes and upbeat energy in the classroom. Teachers should strive to raise the bar

for their students. To get the best efforts out of students, you have to raise that bar and

demand higher expectations. The most effective teachers are the ones who are continuously

learning. There are new ideas and techniques being revealed every day. Teachers are shaping

the mind of the future. To be an effective teacher they must be positive, have high

expectations, and be a lifelong learner.

Positivity in the classroom can go a long way. Every teacher will have a student that

comes to class with a negative attitude, and it is up to the teacher to counteract it with

positivity. Teachers can make a difference in the world and students’ lives with their

positivity. Positivity is inspiring, encouraging, and breeds creativity. Keep the students

engaged with a positive attitude. Teaching is most effective when students are motivated to

learn and achieve the highest achievements possible in the classroom. Some students come

from a household full of negativity, so the small amount of positivity they retrieve could

come from you. Just imagine the roads you could pave for students with optimism in your

classroom. When a teacher shows students positivity, it also allows the students to feel

comfortable with the teacher. Positivity helps an effective teacher become the teacher

students know they can turn to for assistance. Students expect to see their teachers in the best

upbeat mood every day. Effective teachers do not let their students know anything is wrong

or going on with them. When I was in elementary school, I never saw my teachers upset;

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they always showed up in the classroom with the best positive attitude for the students.

Teachers are there for the students; not to broadcast their lives. Effective teachers put on their

positivity mask as soon as they walk through their classroom door.

Effective teachers set the bar high for students. Effective teachers realize that the

expectations they set for their students will affect their achievements greatly. Students will

give teachers as much as the teacher asks for, and they usually will not give more than what

is asked of them. An effective teacher knows to set those expectations high because he or she

knows the students can reach those expectations. Teachers should have confidence in their

students and their abilities. Most students have this urge to please adults; therefore they will

want to please their teacher and will attempt to do what it takes for that. If you want to be an

effective teacher, set those expectations high and show your students they can achieve

anything they put their mind to. It should not matter if a student makes a hundred on a test

numerous times or a fifty, he or she should be given positive reinforcement. By setting

positive expectations for students will help them have proper motivation that they may not

receive at home. As a teacher, you may be the only one that is pushing your students and

encouraging them to excel.

Effective teachers are active learners. Although teachers are teaching their students; they

are also learning new techniques and ideas daily. An effective teacher is always looking for

new references to learn from. Teachers have to learn new material just like students. The

learning process never ends. An effective teacher is learning new ways to present material to

students that will best fit their learning styles. The effective teacher is the one searching for

new ways of teaching and new technology to use in the classroom to help better the students’

education and learning abilities. Effective teachers love to learn just as much as they love to

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teach. If teachers continue to improve their knowledge, then they will be better prepared to

teach students.

Teaching in itself can be a challenging job but doing what it takes to be an effective

teacher makes the job that much harder. Success in the classroom does not just happen; it

takes a special dedicated person to make progress. Effective teachers will know how to help

their students succeed and the attributes listed in this paper is a well way to get that success.

Teachers need positive attitudes in their classroom to help the students be enthusiastic about

learning. Students often set high expectations for their teachers, and in return, teachers should

set high expectations for the students. Effective teachers need to push their students to the

limit and help them portray their best efforts. There are all kinds of new information being

introduced to the world every day, and effective teachers are the teachers that are learning

this new information. Learning never stops. To become an effective teacher one needs to

think like an effective teacher.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Program of Study

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my program of study from ETSU showing the classes I have had.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Transcript

Date: Fall 2009- Spring 2014

Courses: All Courses

Description: This is an unofficial copy of my current transcript.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Praxis I

Date: November 2013-December 2013

Courses: All Courses

Description: This is a copy of my Praxis I.

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Section Two:

Selected Entries

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Planning and Teaching Strategies:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Bloom’s Taxonomy Activity

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is the Bloom’s Taxonomy Activity we did in EDUC 2300

Introduction to Education.

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Name: Chelsea Fillers

Date: March, 2014

Class: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Semester: Spring, 2014

Bloom’s Taxonomy Activity

1. Targeted grade level: Second Grade

2. Subject Area: Math

3. Specific content to be taught: Addition of two digit numbers.

4. Questions:

a. Remembering

1. What is addition with two digit numbers?

2. How would you show an addition problem with two digit numbers?

3. Can you recall how to do an addition problem with two digit numbers?

b. Understanding

1. Will you tell in your own words how you found the total for an addition

problem with two digit numbers?

2. What is the idea of addition with two digit numbers?

3. What can you tell me about addition with two digit numbers that shows

what you know?

c. Applying

1. How would you use addition with two digit numbers outside the

classroom?

2. How could you show you understand addition with two digit numbers?

3. How could you create a graph to show addition with two digit numbers?

d. Analyzing

1. How could addition with two digit numbers be related to daily tasks?

2. What conclusions can you create about addition with two digit numbers?

3. Why do you think addition with two digit numbers is important to learn?

e. Evaluating

1. What thoughts do you have about addition with two digit numbers?

2. Based on what you have learned, what can you tell about addition with

two digit numbers?

3. What tools can you use to solve an addition problem with two digit

numbers?

f. Creating

1. Design a way to teach an addition problem with two digit numbers?

2. Design a creative way to teach addition with two digit numbers?

3. Design a model that will show an addition problem with two digit

numbers?

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Lesson Plan Assignment

Date: Spring, 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my Lesson Plan Assignment we did in EDUC 2300 Introduction to

Education.

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Name: Chelsea Fillers

Title of Lesson: Miss Fillers’s Grocery Store

Grade: Second Grade

Date: March 2014

Materials Needed:

Plastic bags

Paper money

Grocery items

Shopping list with two columns

Goals:

The students will learn how to add and subtract money.

The students will learn how to add two digit numbers with regrouping.

Objectives:

Students will be able to add two digit numbers with regrouping.

Students will work with a partner to practice adding with two digit numbers.

Instructional Procedures:

I will ask the students if they would like to go grocery shopping at Miss Fillers’s

Grocery.

I will tell the students there are a number of items throughout the classroom with price

tags on them.

I will pair them with a partner and together they will have $50 in paper money to spend

on groceries.

Each team will be given a shopping list with two columns.

In one column they will record the item they buy, and in the second column they will

write the price of the item.

They may get as many items as they like, adding the prices as they go.

They may not spend over $50.

At the end of their grocery shopping, they will add up their price and get the total they

spent.

Questions:

(See Bloom’s Taxonomy assignment)

Closure:

Towards the end of the class, I will ask the students to return to their desks with their

shopping list.

I will ask the students for their totals and see which team was the closest to spending all

of their money.

I will ask the class to explain to me what we did today and what important addition rules

they learned/reinforced through their grocery shopping.

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Adaptations to meet Individual Needs:

The Resource students will be paired with an advanced level student.

Evaluation Assessment:

See attached rubric

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Actual Teaching:

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Assessment and Evaluation:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Rubric

Date: Spring, 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is the Rubric that goes along with the Bloom’s Taxonomy Activity we

did in EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education.

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0 1 2 Score

Participation Did not give ideas for the

Venn Diagram

Gave one or two ideas for

Venn Diagram

Gave at least three

ideas for Venn

Diagram

____ / 2

Attitude/

Cooperation

Bad

attitude/ did not want to

cooperate with partner.

Decent

attitude/ had to be

reminded of how to work

with partner.

Great

attitude/ worked well

with partner.

____ / 2

Listening Skills

Did not listen to

directions.

Listened, but was

disruptive.

Listened with no

disruptions.

____ / 2

Addition of Prices

No prices added up

correctly.

1-2 prices added up

correctly.

All prices added up

correctly.

____ / 2

Shopping list

information

No items put

on the

correct side.

1-3 items

put on the

correct side.

All items are

in correct

place

____ / 2

Questions

(3)

None

correct.

1-2 correct. All correct

____ / 2

Total Score ____ / 12

10-12 = Excellent

7-9 = Good

5-6 = Satisfactory 3-4 = Needs Improvement

0-2 = Unsatisfactory

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Learning Environment:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Guided Observation #1

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is Guided Observation 1 of this class that I did my service learning for

EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education.

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Guided Observation #1 – Contextual Factors

Name: Chelsea Fillers

Date: Spring 2014

Course: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

School: Hal Henard Elementary School

Interview your mentoring teacher to obtain the demographics about the school. Write

a response for each question in a paragraph format.

1. Record the number of males, females, and ratio of ethnicity within the

classroom. The classroom I was assigned to during service learning was not a very big class.

There were fifteen students in the classroom. All together, there were six girls and nine

boys. Mrs. Jones had three African American students in her class. The rest of the

students were Caucasian.

2. What are the development levels of the students within the classroom you

are observing? I did not notice any students that had problems with any of the material Mrs.

Jones was teaching. All of the students stayed in Mrs. Jones class all day with her for

their education. When I asked Mrs. Jones how well her students performed academically,

she stated how all of her students were on track. Only a few of them may need a small

amount of help getting some of their assignments done.

3. How is the instruction modified to meet the diverse needs of the students? Mrs. Jones does well with breaking down her lessons step by step for all the

students in the classroom. She takes her lessons slowly so that each of the students can

focus and understand the material. Mrs. Jones has daily stations for different subjects.

The reading center is where she spends most of her time so she can assist the students

with words and make sure they stay on track. When Mrs. Jones was teaching the class,

she would do a worksheet with the students on the smart board for mathematics, and then

the students would do their own worksheet afterwards during the mathematics center.

4. Research the school and the Tennessee State Government web site to

obtain information about the school community, school report card, and

school population. Hal Henard Elementary School serves students in Greeneville, Tennessee. They

currently have three hundred and fifty students enrolled. It is the largest of the four

elementary schools in Greeneville. This school serves grade Pre-kindergarten through

fifth grade. Hal Henard Elementary School is a Title 1 school. There are one hundred and

seventy five female students and one hundred and ninety five male students. Hal Henard

Elementary School’s TCAP test scores for the year of 2012 was fifty-eight in

reading/language and social studies, fifty-seven in science, and fifty-six in math.

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5. What are the specialized programs/activities found within the school that

would assist special needs children, those who need enrichment activities,

or remediation? List the specific programs that are available. Hal Henard Elementary School provides occupational, speech, and physical

therapy for children with special needs. They also have RTI interventionists for the

students. There is a CDC class and a resource teacher that goes into the classroom to help

students in certain subjects. There are also before and after school programs for students

who need some extra help in certain areas. The before and after school program is

ACCESS which the teachers are in charge of.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Guided Observation #2

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my Guided Observation number two that I completed while doing

my service learning with Mrs. Jones at Hal Henard Elementary School.

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Guided Observation #2 – Physical Arrangement

Name: Chelsea Fillers

Date: Spring 2014

Course: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

School: Hal Henard Elementary School

Instructions for the Observer: First, draw a map of the classroom you are observing, including

seating arrangements, placement of furniture, computers, telephone, and other equipment. Give

a brief critique of the effectiveness and use of: technology, lighting, traffic patterns, instructional

displays, management, and motivational elements. Then design your own perfect classroom.

1. Draw classroom map:

2. Effectiveness of:

a) Technology:

Mrs. Jones has two types of technology equipment set up in her classroom. She has

computers in the corner of the room for students to use. The students use the

computers to take AR test to gain points for reading books, and then they use them

for online assignments. At the front of the classroom, Mrs. Jones has a smartboard.

She uses this board in her daily lessons. The students are also allowed to write on it so

they can also be involved in the lessons.

b) Traffic Patterns:

The students’ tables are set up pretty well throughout the classroom. They are spread

out well enough that the students can get through the class with no problem. Mrs.

Jones’s desk is set to the side of the classroom where she can see every table well.

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Her desk is also not in the way of the students. She has it set far enough back,

because she does not really use it; she moves around through the class. I believe her

classroom arrangement is set up positively for the students, because it gives them

plenty of space and allows them to move through the class easily. Each of the

students can see the board well, and the teacher can see each of the students. She also

has a discipline chart up that the students can see at any time to help motivate them to

do well in class with their behavior.

c) Instructional Displays:

On one of the walls in Mrs. Jones’s classroom, she has a word wall. The word wall

has the students’ sight words on it for the students to see every day. The students use

these words in their daily work each week. At the front of the classroom, she has a

schedule hanging up. This helps the students know where they are suppose to go

throughout the day and what they will be doing. Mrs. Jones does not have a bulletin

board in her classroom. She has a few charts on the wall that describes how to say

certain types of words and the meaning of the words. For the most part, the

classroom is not very decorative on the walls.

d) Classroom Management:

Mrs. Jones manages her class very well. The students respect her and listen very

well to what she asks them to do. The students know what she expects from them. I

never saw her have to ask the students more than once to do something. She would

reward them at the end of the day with longer play time as long as their work was

finished. Any time a visitor would come into the classroom, the students would sit

quietly and work on their assignment. Mrs. Jones could go to the door and talk to the

visitor and know that her class would not get out of control. I believe her trust in

them made the students behave even better. The students respect her for trusting

them to do what they were supposed to. If the students have unacceptable behavior,

they have to pull a person, which represents themselves and makes them miss out on

play time or other rewards she may give them. I think a huge bearing of control in

Mrs. Jones’s classroom is the respect. She respects the students, and they respect her

in return. Also the tone of her voice, I noticed she never raised her voice to the

students. I think this helped, because some students will just refuse to do anything if

they are yelled at.

e) Motivational Elements:

There is a reward system set up for the whole school. Students have a SOAR chart,

and if they get their name on the SOAR chart three times in a week, they do not get

to participate in the SOAR party on Wednesday. On Wednesday, the students can

choose a class to go to at the end of the day all throughout the school, and each class

has some kind of activity set up for the students. I noticed Mrs. Jones would brag on

her students to the other first grade teachers and have the other first grade teachers

come into the class to tell her students how great they were for doing an assignment

well. This made the students so proud of themselves and wanting to work that much

harder to do well.

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3. Draw your perfect classroom:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Guided Observation Four – General Procedures

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my Guided Observation three that I completed while doing my

service learning with Mrs. Jones at Hal Henard Elementary School.

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Guided Observation Four – General Procedures

Name: Chelsea Fillers

Date: Spring 2014

Course: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

School: Hal Henard Elementary School

1. What routines have been established to take attendance, deal with

previously absent students, and handle tardy students?

Mrs. Jones reports her attendance each morning to the front desk. She calls the secretary

and informs her of which students are not present. The secretary then will call the students’

parents to find out why they are absent. Once the secretary finds out, she will report back to

Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones gets the students’ work ready for the parents to pick if the student is

going to be absent more than one day. If the student is only absent one day, then he or she

will make the work up with a teacher’s assistant when returned to school. When a student is

absent, he or she will just join where the class is in their lesson and catch up later on in

the day with the teacher’s assistant. This usually happens during play time at the end of the

day.

2. What observations can you make about transition times, i.e. changing

from one activity to another?

Mrs. Jones does very well with keeping the students on track when transitioning from one

lesson to the next. She gives them a certain amount of time to put their things away from the

previous lesson and get their things out for the next lesson. The students know if they do not

listen then they will get their name wrote on the SOAR chart. While the students wait for

special class teachers to come get them, Mrs. Jones will play some type of quiet game with

them. The students’ schedule is spaced out enough that they have plenty of time to transition

from one activity to the next without getting out of control.

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Professional Growth:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: STEA Membership

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my welcome letter after joining.

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Communication:

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Letter to Parents

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my letter I wrote to the parents where I did my service learning to

inform them of why I was there.

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March 11, 2014

Dear Parents, I am Chelsea Fillers from Walters State

Community College. This semester, I am participating in a service learning project for my education class. I will be in the classroom for

eighteen hours to observe and work with the students and Mrs. Jones. I look forward to this experience with your children and Mrs. Jones. I

am excited to gain knowledge from this experience that I can take into my own classroom in the future. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs.

Jones at 423- 636-8511.

Thank you, Chelsea Fillers Chelsea Fillers

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: PBL Presentation

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is a copy of our presentation we gave explaining our PBL in EDUC

2300 Introduction to Education.

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http://prezi.com/c7eizul-st7g/pbl-presentation/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

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Context Statement Type of Artifact: PBL Presentation

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education

Description: This is a copy of our presentation we gave explaining our PBL in SPED

2010 Introduction to Special Education.

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DI Lesson Plan

Subject / Name of Assignment or idea: Reading & Vocabulary/ Sighty Sentences

(Grade level/s): 1st grade

Rational (Include Benchmarks/ standards, if applicable): CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.2

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.3.c

Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).

DI Strategy: Tiered Lesson

Differentiate What? How to read and write sentences using sight words, some students have

trouble creating and reading sentences with sight words. Differentiating the content and

difficulty of the assignment, will allow the students to create and read a sentence correctly.

Differentiate How? The assignment is differentiated by readiness, allowing the students to work

at their own pace to create and read a sentence with sight words.

Materials Needed:

Magnet letters

Play dough

Cookie trays

Board game retrieved from TeacherspayTeachers

Magnets

Sight word fish

Fish bowl

Homemade fishing pole

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Teacher Preparation: The teacher will prepare each tiered level station for the students. The

stations will be set up with color coded cookie trays that has the material and instructions needed

for the activity.

Explanation: The students will work at their own pace to complete the hands on activity, and

then complete their written assignment portion. Some of the students may need assistance

reading the sight words at the beginning of the school year. Once the year progresses the students

should be able to read these sight words and create sentences on their own. Before the students

write their sentences using sight words, they have to do the hands on activities to know which

sight words to use. I would give the students the option to do the hands on activities again

without having to write the sentences at the end, if they choose so. This assignment should be

weekly. The teacher needs to switch up the sight words for the students on a weekly basis. If the

students need extra time with some words, they should have the option to keep those words an

extra week. Each level will have a color coded cookie tray that will have the activities on it. This

is so the students do not get confused on which activity they are suppose to work on. Each of

these activities should not take any longer than fifteen to thirty minutes to do. Some of the

activities may take less time than that.

Differentiation Strategy: Tiered Activity

Sighty Sentences

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Objective Students will spell out

five sight words. Then

they will take one of

the sight words and

create a sentence with

it. The students will

gain knowledge on

how to use sight

words they are

learning in a sentence.

Students will play a

game involving their

sight words. Then use

play dough to create

some of the words

from the game. At the

end the students will

choose three sight

words from the game

and write a sentence

for each and draw a

picture to illustrate the

sentence. This level

will enhance their

sentence structure and

creativity with sight

words. This activity

will give them more

hands on practice for

their words.

Students will play

game to retrieve their

sight words to create a

story with them. They

will create a story

with ten sight words

and illustrations for

the story. This will

help the students

improve on writing

more than one

sentences and putting

them together.

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Activity The students will pick

five popsicle sticks

out of a cup that have

sight words wrote on

them. They will then

spell each of the sight

words out with

magnet letters. After

spelling the five sight

words, they will

choose their favorite

word and create a

sentence with it.

The students will play

a board game called

Sight Word

Adventure. There will

be nine board games.

The words get harder

on each board game

as the students

progress. The students

will roll a dice to play

the game, and every

word they land on

during the game they

will spell out with

play dough. After the

game the students

pick three sight words

to create a sentence

for each and

illustration with.

The students will play

a game called Fishing

for Sight Words. The

purpose of this game

is for the students to

practice their sight

words more and

create a story with

them. The students

will fish for ten sight

words and use those

words to create a story

with illustrations.

Assessment The students will be

able to spell their

sight words and create

a sentence with one of

them.

The students will be

able to spell their

sight words then

create sentences with

them. The sentences

will be creative

sentences with

illustration.

The students will be

able to create a story

using their sight

words and add

illustration to the

story. Students will

have to think more in

depth about the

meaning of each sight

word to create their

story.

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DI Lesson Plan

Subject / Name of Assignment or idea:

(Grade level/s):

1st Grade Mathematics

Lesson Plan

Focus: 2 and 3 digit numbers

Rationale (Include Benchmarks/standards, if applicable):

Standard

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.A.1

Use addition and subtraction within 20 to

solve word problems involving situations of

adding to, taking from, putting together,

taking apart, and comparing, with

unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using

objects, drawings, and equations with a

symbol for the unknown number to

represent the problem.

DI Strategy: (i.e., Choice board, menu, tiered lesson)

Think-Tac-Toe Board Game: Student Choice

Differentiate What?

How to add, write numbers in word form, and make 2 and 3 digit numbers by using a think-tac-

toe sheet.

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Differentiate How?

Some students have difficulty with math, so this gives them different options to build their skills

by letting them pick different ways they can go. They can pick the difficulty based on their math

level.

Learning Profiles: We have implemented activities and strategies that can be done by each of

our students. One of the students has Williams syndrome and has a hard time with numbers. This

will help her, because she will have number cards and will be actually able to see the numbers.

Some of the ways you can go on the tic-tac-toe board are easier than others so this will help her

also. One student has to be encouraged to talk and be around others so this activity will help him

with socializing with his peers. This activity is also good for the learner who has a hearing

impairment, because all this is on number cards, so he can see and read the cards instead of

trying to listen to the teacher tell him instructions on an assignment. The think-tac-toe board has

all the explanation this student would need to do this activity. The student who has cerebral palsy

is learning how to write and use a pencil. The problems that you have to write the number will

give her good practice. The students who are more advanced have more difficult problems on

this board for them so they can also practice their math skills.

Resources Needed:

1. Number Cards

2. Think-Tac-Toe Sheet

3. Paper

4. Pencil

Teacher Preparation:

Have all number cards and think-tac-toe sheets ready to go before you start the activity.

Make sure there are enough number cards for each student or group.

Check each student’s IEP and make the appropriate modifications, and accommodations

needed to meet the needs of each student with a disability.

Explain what the students are supposed to do if they don’t already know how.

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Explanation:

The students are supposed to pick any 3 math problems that are in a line they want to do. They

do the 3 math problems as they say. Students can work alone or in groups. During the school

year as students get better with their numbers you may want to make new number cards, and

change the think-tac-toe board to make it more challenging. Students should take around 30

minutes or less to do this activity.

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Section Three:

Professional Evaluation

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Placement Journals

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: These are my journals I wrote while serving my service learning hours at

Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education.

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VISION FOR MY FUTURE

Here is what I want to accomplish this year:

Education: My goals for my education within this year are to mainly graduate. I will graduate

from Walters State Community College in May of 2014 with my AST degree. I intend to transfer

to East Tennessee State University for their education program. I am looking forward to closing

one chapter with an accomplishment and starting a new chapter to gain a new accomplishment. I

will start at ETSU in fall of 2014 with two years left until I receive my bachelors’ degree in

elementary education.

Career: My career in this year is not going to change until possibly fall semester of 2014 at

ETSU. I currently work for the Extended School Program for Greeneville City Schools. I have

been working for them over two years and would love to stay with them as long as I am able

while in college. I enjoy working for the school system because it helps me get my face known

in the system. I also enjoy working with my students and watching each of them learn and grow

every day. Once I go to ETSU, my school schedule may not allow me to work for the Extended

School Program anymore, but my goal is to stay if possible. As far as my accomplishment in my

career, it would be a great accomplishment for me to keep gaining as much knowledge about

teaching as possible. Many of the teachers inform me of how the school system works and give

me tips for when I start my teaching career. I have also been keeping an eye open for schools that

I may be interested in when I receive my degree or school systems I may be interested in. I am

trying to get an idea of areas or systems that I would like.

Family and Friends: As far as my family and friends are concerned, this year I only expect to

grow closer with them. My best friend is getting married this year, and I have the honor of being

her maid of honor. I am also spending as much time with my family as I can, because recently, I

have learned that many of my family members are sickly. So far this year, I have gained many

new friends. I thank school for that. I am learning to go outside my comfort zone more, and by

doing so, I have gained many new friends. I take each day as a new opportunity to meet new

people and form a positive relationship with them.

Involvement and Service to My Community: One of my goals for this year is to help out at a

school during my free time. Just simply going and reading a book to the students is such an

enlightening experience and also helps teachers and principals see who I am. I would also like to

help teachers out in the classroom and know I am helping make a difference in somebody’s life

either a teacher or student. I could also help out at the church I attend. There are always

community service opportunities at my church that I could be more involved in. I want to be

more involved in my community and see the needs of the community on a closer level. My main

goal I would like to accomplish in my community is to be more involved and help people that are

in dire need of the help.

Personal Growth: During this year, I want to grow more as a person and a professional. I also

want to grow more dependent upon myself and less upon others. This service learning project is

a chance for me to grow professionally. I can come from this assignment with more knowledge

about the teaching profession. The more I learn and experience the better prepared I am for my

future career. While I am in college, I want to be an active student around my college and more

involved especially in STEA. I want to be able to show that my accomplishments were earned

through hard work and perseverance. Everybody can improve themselves with some hard work

and dedication to their goals.

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Service Learning Project

Name: Chelsea Fillers

Course Title: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Date: 03-11-14

Agency Name: Hal Henard Elementary School

Agency’s Mission Statement/ Grades Served/ Community Needs: The Greeneville City

School’s mission statement is to provide a world-class education for all students. Greeneville

City Schools want each student to have an equal opportunity and the best education they can

possibly receive. Hal Henard Elementary School serves pre-k through 5th

grade. Currently, the

school has about 400 students enrolled. Hal Henard offers two types of after school services for

students which are: the Access Program and the Extended School Program.

Prologue: What do you expect to get from your service learning experience (i.e., how will this

experience help YOU develop)? How will it impact your learning and link to class materials?

How do you think the students and staff will perceive you? What goals do you have for the

semester’s Service Learning experience? What fears do you have (if any) about service learning?

I believe this experience will help me develop more professionally and grow more

knowledgeable about teaching. This will be a wonderful opportunity for me to receive some

hands on experience in the classroom. By being in the classroom, I will be able to see real

situations that teachers face on a daily basis and how to handle those situations. I will also get to

see what is expected of a teacher and how much preparation is put into each day. This experience

will help me prepare myself for the expenses involved in teaching as well. I feel like the

activities and resources I have learned in my education class will help me with great ideas for the

classroom, that I may even be able to share with the teacher I am assigned. I think the students

will be open and excited to have somebody new in their classroom to help and talk to. I also

think the staff will see that I am anxious to start and to help as much as possible. I want them to

see that I am there to be of assistance to them as well as gain knowledge from them. My goal for

this service learning experience is to be attentive and open to all knowledge given to me. I want

to be able to take some techniques and ideas from this experience that I will be able to apply in

my classroom some day. I want to see every part of teaching, even the bad, during this

experience so I am well aware of all the possibilities that I may encounter in my future career. I

am not very fearful of anything in this assignment. The only thing I can think of is not getting as

much time as I would like, so that I get as much knowledge from the experience that I can.

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First Agency Visit: 2-25-14 8:45a.m. - 12:00p.m.

Today, I met with the principal of Hal Henard Elementary School. She took me to meet

the teacher I would be placed with. The teacher I was assigned to was Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones

teaches first grade. She was so nice and open to me when she met me. She did inform me that I

am the first college student she has ever had in her classroom, so I explained to her what my

service learning project was about and some examples of duties I could do while there.

Mrs. Jones showed me around and introduced me to her students plus the other first grade

teachers. The students were all so sweet and excited to have a new person in the room. I was

only there about ten minutes when I had a student come tell me I was so fun and cool. Just those

small words meant so much to me and put me at ease. During Mrs. Jones planning period, she

asked me to organize her bookshelf, and I was more than happy to help her. After I worked on

the bookshelf, I was able to start working with students. I was beyond eager to start working with

the students and helping them. I love watching their minds work and material start clicking for

them. I believe my first day went very well. I look forward to going back.

ABCs of Reflection

Affect: My first day of service learning I was nervous to get placed with a teacher I did

not know, but after meeting her, I was at ease. I was not sure what to expect from the teacher I

was assigned, but I quickly realized she was extremely nice. When I met with Mrs. Ricker, she

seemed very welcoming and open to having me there to help out in a classroom. Mrs. Jones was

the teacher I was assigned to. She helped me feel very welcomed and at ease. Her students even

seemed very happy to have me there. I feel like I was a big help to Mrs. Jones especially since

she made sure to tell me thank you for everything and continue to tell me how much of a help I

was to her. I am pleased that I was able to help her and made me excited to go back again.

Behavior: I believe my actions on my first day were affective. When I met Mrs. Ricker,

she helped me prepare for the class I was going to be in and prepare for the teacher I would be

placed with. I do believe that I could have been a little clearer about my schedule to Mrs. Jones,

and the purpose of me being there. She seemed to catch on to everything I told her though. She

quickly found me things to do, and I was more than happy to help her out.

Cognition/Content: I am ready to see the things I have learned in my education class

happen in a real classroom. I am eager to experience all this personally. I believe this experience

will better prepare me for my future career. Mrs. Jones exhibited some key factors to a successful

teacher. She was very organized, had classroom management, and also very kind with her

students. I never heard her raise her voice to her students. The students responded very well to

her. I look forward to this service learning project and gaining experience and knowledge from

it.

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Second Agency Visit: 2-27-14 9:00a.m. – 2:00p.m.

I was very eager to start my second day of service learning in Mrs. Jones’s classroom.

When I got there, she seemed very happy to see me. That reassured me that I really helped and

made a difference during my first day. She told me that she had many things planned for me, and

I was ready to start.

During my second visit I helped the first grade teachers prepare for Read Across America

week. They had me taking some of the students’ assignments about Dr.Suess and hanging them

up on the wall in their hall. Once I was done with that, I got to work on a giant banner they were

making for their Dr.Seuss wall. This banner took up all my time for that day. Each of the first

grade teachers were so excited that I was helping them and to see the finished product. I was able

to see how much preparation and extra time it would take for a teacher to do an activity like this

with their students. I think this helped me see how much extra time it takes outside of school to

do extra activities. Teachers’ job is not done when they leave a school. It just goes home with

them and continues there.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was eager to get started in the classroom. I really enjoy going to Mrs. Jones

classroom. I was ready to see what my second visit would teach me. Every day I am there is a

new day to learn from real life experiences. I went in with an open mind and ready to help. I feel

like my actions were very helpful and productive.

Behavior: My behavior during service learning today made me think I was a huge help

to Mrs. Jones. I saved her some time on her day that she would have had to stay after school for.

I was more than happy to help her, and I felt like my attitude showed how open I was to helping

her. I could have probably thrown in some ideas as well to help make their Dr.Seuss display

more eye catching, but I just did what Mrs. Jones wanted me to do. Mrs. Jones is the type of

teacher, I have noticed, that is open to suggestions and help. That is the kind of behavior I want

to have when I start my teaching career.

Cognition/Content: I have learned many new ideas and techniques in my education class

that I have been able to apply in Mrs. Jones class. Even with this simple assignment that she had

me do, I was able to organize my material and time, which is what a teacher has to do with all of

their material for classes. Without organization and time management I would not be able to

make a successful teacher. I also saw the thinking outside the box part of teaching as well.

Teachers have to be able to think outside the box and come up with creative ideas to keep the

students interested in the material. Just by making a simple and colorful banner, Mrs. Jones got

her students attention about what they were discussing for the week.

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Third Agency Visit: 3-6-14 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.

I was more than excited to get back to my service learning project on the third day. Mrs.

Jones is such a welcoming teacher and that helps me look forward to going back every time.

When I first got there, she explained to me what they were doing and where I could help out. I

had no problem jumping right in and assisting the students. I really enjoy watching the students

work on their assignments and see how they learn. By walking around, I was able to see how

each of them thought about problems, which helps me when I work with them one on one.

After I walked around the room and watched the students and helped them if they needed

it, Mrs. Jones asked me to help them on a test. I had to take a group of students out into the

hallway so they could take a test. I was there to help them read a word if they needed me to or

guide them along the right direction to the answer. I noticed that if some students were not

focused enough they would not do too well on certain assignment. Many of the students I had to

slow down and have them really think about the question, because they were paying attention to

the others and trying to make a race out of it, especially the boys. By seeing this, it could help me

in the future to think of ideas for my own students to get them to focus more and really pay

attention to the material given to them.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: My efforts during service learning were affective with the students. I was able to

help students on a test and explain the material to them clearly. I felt really well about my work I

had done for the students and Mrs. Jones. I was able to have the students to really think about

their work and what they were doing, which seemed to really help many of them. I was pleased

with the work I accomplished during my third visit with Mrs. Jones and her class.

Behavior: I learned how some of the students learn, and how they work on their

assignments. I quickly figured out that I have to be patient with certain students, because some

work at a slower pace than others, which is fine. My patience can be an example to the students

when it comes to their work. I can show the students that if they take their time and be patient

that the work can be done correctly. I was glad to help the students slow down and really use

their minds.

Cognition/Content: During my time in college, I have learned that we need to let the

students tell us what they know and how they are doing. For me to help the students slow down

during their test, I had them tell me what the questions said and what they really thought the

answer was and why. I think this was very helpful to some of the students, because once they

slowed down; they were able to tell me the correct answer even though they had wrote the wrong

one to begin with. When I have my own class in the future, I will be able to apply this with my

students to help them really think about what they are doing.

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Fourth Agency Visit: 3-10-14 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.

When I first got to Mrs. Jones classroom I sat and observed her teach the students about

writing sentences. The students had just read a story that they were going to be writing about.

The story was telling the students about different kinds of animals. All of the students seemed

excited to pick their animal for this assignment. The first step for their writing assignment, that I

later had to help them with, was to pick their favorite animal from the book and tell some facts

about it on a bubble map. I helped Mrs. Jones walk around her classroom and assist any of the

students that needed it. Most of the students were able to do on their own, but I was also able to

help some of the students come up with some facts for their animal.

After I helped Mrs. Jones do this, she asked me if I would take a few of the students out

in the hall and work with them on this writing assignment. I gladly agreed to work with the

students. I had one student at a time so I could help that student focus better on the assignment.

As I was helping the students on their writing I was also helping them on their reading without

them being aware of what I was doing. I had the students read their animal to me and then

reword the sentences in the book to make it their own. The students really liked being able to

make their own sentences and using their own ideas. I was pleased to see these students really

think outside the box to come up with facts about their animal. The students used the book as

clues and then wrote their own type of sentences. This extra time with a teacher helped some of

the students think more than they more normally do in a regular classroom setting. I learned from

my fourth visit, that sometimes if you pull students to the side or out of the classroom to work

with them, they may actually put more effort into their work.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was very enthusiastic about being back at Hal Henard for my fourth visit of

service learning. It was a great feeling to watch the students use their minds and think outside the

box on an assignment. I really felt like my work made a difference in the students today. I helped

them dig down deep and show their potential they have. Some of the creative facts the students

were listing was amazing. They knew so much about their animals just by using context clues

from the story. It was wonderful to see the students show what they can do.

Behavior: I was very productive today with my actions. I helped the students see their

full potential and they showed me why I want to be a teacher. They showed me that it is about

educating the mind, and showing them they can do whatever they put their mind to. I was a little

nervous to work with the students on this assignment because I was not sure how I was going to

get them to think about the story, but they quickly showed me they could do it on their own with

more time. I was glad I could help them really think outside the box.

Cognition/Content: Mrs. Jones gave me a few tips on how to get the students to think

outside the box and come up with their own sentences. These tips she gave me I can take into my

own class in the future. In my education class we have also given some techniques to get

students to think outside the box. I have also learned about new methods to help students use

their own ideas. Technology is a big way to help the students think creatively. In Mrs. Jones

class, she has a smart board that allows the students to write on and draw pictures as well to help

them think creatively. These tips, methods, and technology will be a huge resource for me in the

future.

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Fifth Agency Visit: 3-11-14 9:00a.m. – 1:00p.m.

Going into my last day of service learning I was not ready for it to be over. Mrs. Jones

was a wonderful teacher to be placed with, and I learned so much from her. I learned how to get

the students to think creatively, be organized, and patience. I was thankful to Mrs. Jones for

allowing me into her classroom to learn from her.

As soon as I got there for my last day I jumped right in helping Mrs. Jones. All I did my

last day was working with students on their nine week math test. The test was twenty questions,

so having an extra adult in the room was a huge help. I helped walk around the classroom to

make sure the students were on track and answer any questions they may have. Math is one of

my stronger subjects so I was comfortable helping the students on this test. Some of the students

ran out of time to finish working on this test so I was able to work one on one with some of

them. I feel like my effort was very helpful to the students. Some of them did better with the test

when they were worked with one on one. I was also able to help them see what they were doing

wrong and how to correct it. While I helped Mrs. Jones monitor this test, I was able to watch her

and see how she guided the students along the right direction if they had any problems. This

helped me realize what I could say to my future students to help keep them on the right track

during a test. This service learning project was a wonderful learning experience for me. I really

felt like I was a help to this class, and I had accomplished many things.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was very eager to get to Hal Henard for my last day of service learning. I think

my last day was probably one of my most affective days. Mrs. Jones kept telling me how much

of a help I was, because of the big test they were taking. I am glad my efforts were noticed but I

am happier that they were helpful to Mrs. Jones and the students. I was pleased at the end of the

day with all the work I had put into this service learning assignment. I felt like I had really

accomplished a lot, and learned some helpful information for the future.

Behavior: I went into my last day with enthusiasm and excitement. I wanted the students

and Mrs. Jones to realize how much I have enjoyed being in the classroom with them. By going

into the classroom with a positive I am setting an example for the students. I wanted the students

to see they need to keep a positive attitude about anything.

Cognition/Content: I went into my last day asking myself what I can learn from the

students. The students taught me never to give up on a goal. As I watched the students work hard

on their math test and get frustrated, I noticed many of them never gave up. This helped me

realize to never give up on my goals even the simplest ones I can accomplish them on my own or

with assistance. In my education class we have discussed how we can push the students and

encourage them and today I saw some of that. Mrs. Jones and I were able to encourage the

students during their test to keep going and to rethink on some of the problems until they come

up with the correct answer. Children are a blessing to everybody in many ways especially ways

many people do not think about. I was able to grow professionally from this experience in such a

short time.

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Epilogue:

Reflect on your semester’s service learning experience. This service learning experience was a great learning and growing experience. I really feel like I

grew professionally from this experience. I was able to learn many techniques I can use in the

classroom. I was able to gain that one on one experience with the students. The teacher I was

placed with showed me ways to help guide students that are having a difficult time on

assignments. She showed me how she prepares her material daily and how she stays organized so

she can stay on track and keep the students on track. I have learned in my education class that

without organization teachers will not be effective, and I was able to see that in a real life

classroom. I am very thankful for the time I had in a real classroom. I came out of this

experience with knowledge that I can take into my own classroom in the future and apply.

Revisit the prologue. Have your expectations been met? My expectations were met throughout this experience. I was able to see what it is like in a

classroom daily and all the time that is put into lessons. I saw what it was like to have students in

the classroom that may need extra time or extra attention on some assignments. I was also able to

learn how to guide students along the right path without giving them the answer to a problem. I

was very pleased with this experience and the knowledge I gained from it. The teacher I was

assigned to was very nice and informative. I saw how much extra time is involved in lesson

planning and how organization is a key factor in teaching. My expectations were met fully.

How have you been surprised, delighted, or dismayed by the experience? Give

specific examples. This experience was a blessing to me for my future career. I have no negative comments about

this experience, because I gained so much knowledge from it. I was able to gain hands on

experience in a classroom and get an idea of what my day would be like in the future. I found

myself saddened that it was over so quickly. I wanted to stay in Mrs. Jones class and continue to

help the students. I was able to work with some students that needed extra help with assignments,

which helped me realize how easily students can get behind and frustrated with themselves. This

experience made me feel like I was going into the right career path when I was helping the

students on a writing assignment, and I saw them get so excited that they had come up with their

own sentences. It is an amazing feeling to see the students get so excited over the knowledge

they are able to show people. It was delightful to see the students show what they have learned

and how they come up with the answers.

How could this experience be improved? One of the main improvements that I thought about the whole time I was doing service learning

was the time allowed for it. I believe it would be very beneficial for the college student to be

required more time in a classroom. Once I started working on my service learning, I realized it

was not that much time in a classroom. The more time allowed is that much more time those

students can gain knowledge about a real classroom and see different situations that can happen.

More time can only be beneficial and help students for their future in teaching.

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VISION FOR MY FUTURE

Here is what I want to accomplish in the next five years:

Education: Within the next five years, I plan to be graduated from college with my bachelor’s

degree in Elementary Education. I have thought about going back to get my masters, but I am not

sure if that is a definite happening. I would also like to go get some more certifications to add

onto what I will have when I graduate. I have been thinking about pre-k, but I am still thinking

about that one. Five years is a huge opportunity for many things in my education.

Career: I plan on having a steady job in a school within the next five years. I want to teach

kindergarten or first grade, but I will not be picky. I really like the school I did my service

learning in, but I think I would like to branch outside the county I live. I want to have as many

certifications as possible to help promote myself for future jobs. I am looking forward to the next

five years and growing as a professional.

Family and Friends: During these next five years, I look forward to watching my friends grow

into careers that they will love. I also look forward to watching them grow into an adult and

standing by them along the journey. As for my family, I plan to help my parents out financially

once I have a steady income. My parents have done so much for me and paid for everything for

school. I want to show them how I appreciate it. I also want to spend as much time as I can with

my family within the next five years because lately many of my family members are becoming

sick, and I do not want to miss out on any minute I can with them. I hope to gain new friendships

in the workplace wherever that may be in the future once I graduate college.

Involvement and Service to My Community: My plan for community service is to help out at

the school I work. I want to be involved in after school programs and tutoring for students.

Students should be able to receive extra help outside of regular school hours if they need it. I feel

like it will be my duty to help make sure every student has a fair and equal chance to succeed in

the future.

Personal Growth: As a person, I want to grow professionally in my career and personally in

my daily life. I am excited to see what the next five years has in store for me. I am ready to better

myself in every aspect. I can always improve myself even if the improvement is small. I want to

learn and grow from every experience I face in the next five years.

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REFLECTIONS

Here are the Knowledge and Skills that I have acquired as a direct result of taking

part in this Service Learning project: One of the major skills I learned about and gained knowledge about during this experience is

organization. Teachers have to be extremely organized to keep their class flowing smoothly and

not hectic. I was able to see personally how well an organized classroom went each day. I also

saw that to work with children it takes strong patience. Every day there is going to be a hurdle to

get around, but with patience, a good teacher can overcome that hurdle. Anything can happen

with children so teachers have to be prepared and patient during anything. These were the two

major skills I learned from the teacher I was placed with and saw in her daily.

Here is how this Service Learning project ties in with my

EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education class: While I was doing my service learning I noticed different things my teacher in my education

class had discussed. One of the things was organization. My teacher has explained many times

that without organization, there cannot be a successful classroom. I was able to see that

organizational skill first hand during my service learning. We have also discussed in my

education class about how we have to teach to students needs and that we need to be prepared to

have a plan for the students that may fall behind. During service learning, I was able to work

with students that could not keep up with some assignments. I was able to give them that extra

help and guidance they needed. We have also discussed how technology is a priority now in the

school systems, and I was able to see that first hand. Students were on iPads for lessons and

using a smart board during group lessons.

My Contribution to the Community

I have devoted 18.25 hours to my Service Learning project. Here are four lasting

experiences that are an outcome of my Service Learning project: 1. For me, the first lasting experience was working with the students on their writing and

watching them come up with their own sentences. It really showed me how students need to

have that chance to show what they know and can do so they can be proud of their

accomplishments.

2. Another experience I will take into my classroom in the future is the center setup. The

teacher I was placed with had educational centers set up for the students every day so they

could get their work done. 3. Organization is a big experience I learned from Mrs. Jones during service learning. I will

definitely take that into my classroom, because without it, my students will not focus on their

school work or have consistency in their schedule. Organization keeps the classroom running

smoothly every day and also gives the students an idea of what to expect from the teacher

and what the teacher expects from them. Organized teachers will teach their students to also

be organized with their stuff.

4. Patience is another experience I had in service learning. I was able to experience firsthand

how much patience a teacher must have to be successful in the classroom. Sometimes

situations can push their patience, but teachers that can hold it together will see the most

progress from their students. Patience is a great example to set for the students. When

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students see their teacher being patient, then it helps them be patient as well and not get

frustrated as easily.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Placement Journals

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human Development for Teachers

Description: These are my journals I wrote while serving my service learning hours at

Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human Development for

Teachers.

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VISION FOR MY FUTURE

Here is what I want to accomplish this year:

Education: During this year, I am pushing closer to graduating from WSCC with my Associates

Degree in Education. I only have a few classes left to take before I will be done and able to

graduate. By the time this year is over, I am looking forward to only having one or two semesters

left. This has been a long process but well worth every minute of it. I am thrilled to know I will

be a few steps closer to my degree from college.

Career: For this year, I am looking around at different schools where I think I would enjoy

starting my career. I now work at a school in the extended school program, and I would be more

than happy to stay there once I am able to graduate from college. During this year, I am trying to

get my foot in the door there. I am trying to show the principal and other teachers that I am very

interested in staying and working with them and the students. I love the job I have now, but it is

not my career. I am ecstatic to get one step closer to the career I want the rest of my life,

teaching.

Family and Friends: I have always been extremely close to my family and friends. During this

year I only expect to grow closer to them. We will be taking our annual beach trip with my

family this summer which is a time for us to be together as a family and enjoy each others’

company. By the time this year is over, I expect to also have some new friends in my life as I

grow and branch out into the world as an individual. Every day is a new day and a new

opportunity to meet new people and form a new friendship.

Involvement and Service to My Community: One goal I have set for this year is to volunteer

at a school during the day when I am able. I would like to have more of an in classroom

experience. I want to know I am helping make a teacher’s day slightly easier by having an extra

set of hands in the room. The church I attend does many different types of community service

projects that I help in as much as possible. We have this project collecting cardboard for our

preacher’s son to help pay for his tuition at a Christian school. During this year, the goal is to

raise enough money off of the cardboard collected to pay all his tuition. It is a fabulous blessing

to help others and the community around you.

Personal Growth: During this year, I want to grow as an individual and independent person. I

want to be able to depend more upon myself and do things on my own. This year is a time that I

can also grow professionally for my future career and learn in more detail about the teaching

profession. I want to set an example for the people around me that hard work and perseverance

pays off. While in school, I want to grow as a student so I am better prepared for the future.

There is always room for growth and improvement in anybody’s life.

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Service Learning Project

Name: Chelsea Fillers

Course Title: EDUC 2010

Date: 2-15-13

Agency Name: Hal Henard Elementary School

Agency’s Mission Statement/ Grades Served/ Community Needs: The Greeneville City

School’s mission statement is to provide a world-class education for all students. Greeneville

City Schools want each student to have an equal opportunity and the best education than can

possibly receive. Hal Henard Elementary School serves pre-k through 5th

grade. There are

currently three hundred and eighty one students enrolled in the school. They have many before

school and after school programs to benefit their students even more in their education.

Prologue: What do you expect to get from your service learning experience (i.e., how will this

experience help YOU develop)? How will it impact your learning and link to class materials? How

do you think the students and staff will perceive you? What goals do you have for the semester’s

Service Learning experience? What fears do you have (if any) about service learning?

This service learning experience will help me grow professionally for my future career. This will

be great hands on experience to see real life situations in the classroom and how things are done

on a daily basis. By being in a classroom, this gives me an opportunity to see what is expected

from me in my future career and all the supplies I will need for a classroom. I believe at first the

students and staff will be able to tell I am nervous but also eager to get in there to help and learn.

I want to show the staff that I am there to help them and learn from them. I am excited for the

chance to be in a classroom and get the real life experience. My goal for this semester’s Service

Learning experience is to learn everything I can from the teacher I am placed with and put it into

action in the future when I have my own classroom. I expect to see the good, bad, and ugly about

teaching from this experience and learn from every bit of it as much as possible. I also want to

get the feedback from the teacher I am placed with so I can grow from it. The only fears I have

about this project are not having enough time to learn everything I want from the experience.

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First Agency Visit:

I met with the principal of Hal Henard Elementary School, Janet Ricker, to discuss my

service learning project for my education class at Walters State Community College. She was

very enthusiastic about my decision to complete my 18 hours of service learning at Hal Henard.

Mrs. Ricker introduced me to, Mrs. Ward, the teacher I would be with for my 18 hours of service

learning. Mrs. Ward seemed very thankful to have an extra person in the classroom to assist her

in their daily activities and lessons.

I started that day in Mrs. Ward’s classroom. My responsibilities for the day were to help

the students at different stations set up in the classroom. The first center I was placed in the

students was reading a book aloud to each other, and I was to help them with words if they did

not know them. After the centers were over, Mrs. Ward had some papers for me to organize and

grade for her. I felt excited and pleased about the first meeting of my service learning project.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: The first day of my service learning project I felt very nervous. I did not know

what to expect from the principal or the teacher I would be placed with. When I discussed my

project with Mrs. Ricker, the principal, she seemed very excited to have me there for my hours. I

started feeling better once I talked with her and became excited to meet the teacher I would be

placed with. Mrs. Ward seemed very enthusiastic to have somebody in her class to help her with

the students. I felt at ease and comforted by Mrs. Ward’s reaction to having me in her classroom.

Behavior: My actions today were very helpful I believe. I listened to Mrs. Ward and how

she did things in her classroom. I was also able to help her with some things like grading papers

and working with students in their centers for the morning.

Cognition/Content: Just from the very little time I was there, I could tell real quickly

that Mrs. Ward has her class very organized and controlled. I have learned from my education

class that having a classroom organized and together is a gigantic part of having a successful

classroom. I am looking forward to learning from these hands on experience.

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Second Agency Visit:

I started my second day of service learning off by going outside with the class for thirty

minutes and enjoying the beautiful day. Mrs. Ward informed me that any time the students are

able to get outdoors; they go, especially in the colder months. I observed how Mrs. Ward brought

her class back in and was shocked about it, because when she lined them up, all she did was

raised her hand and started walking to the front door. She did not call for them or say anything; if

they were not paying attention, then the students would get left behind. That was the first time I

had seen a teacher leave without making sure she had all her students.

Once we were back inside, Mrs. Ward set up the daily five, which was the name of the

centers. Each day, the students have a certain time set aside for the daily five. The daily five is

meant for them to work on reading, writing, math, and testing. On my second visit, I worked

with the students in the writing center. My job was to help them come up with sentences to write

using their words of the week. The rest of my visit I spent helping students work on their math

worksheets. I went around making sure they understood the problems and were getting them

correct. At the end of this day, I felt accomplished. I had helped the students understand their

assignments a little better.

ABCs of Reflection

Affect: I started my service learning day off by being very excited to be there and to help

out with the students. I was eager to get started and learn from the experiences I would have in

the classroom today. We started off by going outside, and when it was time to come back in, I

was a little surprised. Mrs. Ward surprised me by how she gathered her students up to go inside.

I had never seen that before, but then I realized that this was a well organized way of getting the

class back together without causing chaos.

Behavior: My behavior today made me feel like I had a positive affect on the students

today. While helping the students work on their sentences, I realized that I also needed to work

on my vocabulary and improve on explaining the meaning of words to the students. I felt

outstanding when I helped one of the students with her math homework and the way I was

teaching her finally clicked for her.

Cognition/Content: I learned a new technique today while at Hal Henard for my service

learning hours. By watching Mrs. Ward, I learned another technique of how to keep control and

respect in the classroom. I have learned in my education class so far that without respect from the

students the class will not function successfully. I look forward to taking what I have learned

from this day and use it in the future in my own classroom.

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Third Agency Visit:

I was more than excited to start my service learning hours on the third day. When I first

got there, Mrs. Ward had me grading papers for her and organizing papers while she talked to the

students about their daily five assignments. Within the first three days, I have learned many

different techniques that help keep the classroom organized and calm by watching how Mrs.

Ward teaches her class. The students in Mrs. Ward’s class are very respectful and organized.

After grading papers and getting everything organized the way Mrs. Ward wanted, she

had me go around during the daily five and have the students say their words of the week to me.

It was such a blessing hearing the students tell what they had learned during the week. I got to

help the students with their math assignments again once I was done listening to them say their

words. This time, during math, Mrs. Ward let me work with four students that have a harder time

with math than the rest of the class. It was a joy to help them understand and comprehend the

worksheet better. I believe it was very beneficial to them to have somebody there that could help

them more one on one. At the end of this day, I told Mrs. Ward I would be back next week and

she sounded so excited. Her reaction made me feel like I really had helped her and made a

difference with the students.

ABCs of Reflection

Affect: After this day, I left feeling great and accomplished. It was such a wonderful

relief when Mrs. Ward reacted the way she did about me returning the next week. She reassured

me that what I was doing was correct and helpful. It is a joy to know that my actions have been a

big help to this class.

Behavior: I learned how to work with certain students today and how to be patient with

each and every single student. My patience with the students reflected onto the students I worked

with and showed them to be patient when it came to their school work by taking it at their own

pace. I was pleased that I could have an impact on some of the students in a positive way.

Cognition/Content: During my education classes, I have learned to let the students talk

to us and report back what they have learned. I was able to do this today during my service

learning hours. I also learned how to teach the students to turn their homework into smaller parts

to make it easier on them; this is something I can apply when I am in my own classroom

teaching. Learning new techniques by being in a real classroom setting makes me look forward

to my future in a classroom.

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Fourth Agency Visit:

I started my fourth visit off by working with the students during their daily five centers.

The first center I was assigned to was the reading center. The students were to read a book aloud

to each other, and I was there to listen and help with words they did not know. I moved from that

center to another where the students were to write sentences using their words to know. It was

such a joy to listen to the students come up with sentences and sees how their minds work. The

class I am in for my service learning project is a great group of intelligent students.

The second part of my time, during my fourth visit I was to help certain students write a

story about the moon. The whole class watched a video clip about the moon, and their

assignment was to write their own story about the moon. The students I worked with were the

inclusion students. I was so pleased to get a chance to work with them and listen to their stories.

They are truly a blessing to work with and a challenge for me to figure out how to get their

minds’ thinking. I left this day feeling like I had really made a difference when I saw the

excitement on a student’s face for his hard work on his assignment.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was very excited to be at Hal Henard today for my service learning project. It

was such a joy to see the students’ light bulb click on. I felt accomplished and like I had made a

difference today. When I saw a student get so excited over the work he had done it reminded me

why I chose to go into teaching. There is no greater feeling than when a student realizes what he

or she has accomplished goals and feels so proud about it.

Behavior: My actions today were very productive. I helped students feel so much better

about their work but they also helped me feel better about my career choice. It was difficult for

me at first, because I did not know how to approach the task, but I quickly learned how to help

the students in this area.

Cognition/Content: I have learned many new techniques from Mrs. Ward, the teacher I

was placed with. She showed me how to work with the inclusion students and what I could do to

help them more effectively. I learned how to break things down into simpler parts for the

students. In my education class, we have discussed how to help inclusion students learn better,

and breaking material down into simpler parts was one of the ways we discussed. Learning about

inclusion students in my education class and then working with them in a classroom will help me

prepare myself for my future in teaching.

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Fifth Agency Visit:

After my fourth visit to Hal Henard I was very eager to get back and work with the

students. Every day I have to leave, I am ready to turn around and go right back. Seeing the light

bulbs click on in the students’ heads is such an inspiration. When I arrived to the class I was

assigned, Mrs. Ward asked me to help a few more of the students correct their writing

assignment they had started on earlier. I was very excited to sit down with a few of them and

help them come up with better sentences for their story and also improve on their handwriting.

After the students finished their final draft, I got to compare the rough draft and final draft; there

was such a gigantic improvement in the final draft. The students created wonderful stories and

the hand writing was amazing. Having the actual proof in front of me to see and witness the

students’ great work was a spectacular feeling. I was so proud of them.

At the end of the day, I was to help the inclusion students on their math worksheets. This

is probably one of my favorite times of the day. I love seeing the light click in students’ heads,

but it is such a joy when you know it is students that have a harder time with certain subject

areas. Each of the students seemed excited to come to me and have me help them on the math

worksheets. The students were even able to help each other and show off the knowledge they had

acquired from our little group sessions together. They all were excited to show Mrs. Ward what

they had learned from working with me and the other students in the group. This day was

absolutely delightful, and I had a sense of accomplishment when I left.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was looking forward to coming to Hal Henard today to work with the students. I

was not expecting to feel all the excitement and joy from seeing the work of the students. I was

so proud of the students for the hard work they put into their assignments, and also see how

much they cared about what they were doing. When I left for the day, I felt as if I had helped

each of the students I talked with gain a little bit of self-esteem in their work.

Behavior: My actions for today were very effective. I came into this day with excitement

and brought it into the teaching I was doing with the students. My positive behavior affected the

students and also helped push them to succeed in their work. If there was one thing I definitely

learned from this day is to let the students teach and help each other more, because it shows them

teamwork and builds up the confidence in what they are doing.

Cognition/Content: One thing I have learned in my education class is to let the students

be the teacher not just the teacher teaching. I put the flipped classroom into play today during

math time with the students. I let them help each other and teach each other how to get the

answer they did. Mrs. Ward seemed very pleased with the way I taught the students today during

this time.

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Sixth Agency Visit:

I was not ready for this day because I did not want this service learning project to be

over. I went into the classroom first thing telling Mrs. Ward I did not want to stop coming; she

informed me that she would love to keep me if she could. I was so ready to work with the

students and embrace every moment with them. My last assignment with the students was to help

all them get their final drafts finished up. I was giddy that I was able to be there to read all the

final drafts from the students.

After helping the students with their final drafts, Mrs. Ward let me grade some papers for

her while she filled out my service learning assessment. I was more than happy to help her by

grading the papers, especially after all the knowledge she had given me when it came to teaching

and the techniques she had shown more. When it was time for me to leave, Mrs. Ward asked me

how long I had been in school, and when I told her, she seemed very shocked and said she felt

like I should be student teaching by now. I was so proud when Mrs. Ward gave me such high

compliments. I left this last day with a great sense of pride, accomplishment, and a new

knowledge on teaching.

ABCs of Reflections

Affect: I was excited about the work I had done today at Hal Henard in my service

learning class. Mrs. Ward made me feel like the work I had done was a huge help with the

students and gave me great compliments. I am fortunate to have been placed with a wonderful

mentor teacher. Each day I left during my service leaning time, I felt as if I had really made a

difference with the students.

Behavior: My actions today showed the teacher and students my enthusiasm to be there

and to help out. During my service learning time, I feel like I was a huge help and effective in the

classroom. I learned many new techniques to use when I start my career in the classroom. I

believe my positive attitude had an impression on the students and helped them stay positive

about their homework. I feel like I really succeeded in this service learning project.

Cognition/Content: The work I did during today’s service learning time I feel was a

huge help to Mrs. Ward. I helped her get papers graded that she was behind on. I was also able to

put into effect some of the ideas and concepts I have learned in my education class while

working with the students today on their writing assignment. I showed the students how to break

sentences down and keep things organized while they are writing to make it easier on them. I am

very proud of all the hard work and effort I put into this service learning project.

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Epilogue:

Reflect on your semester’s service learning experience. This service learning experience was a great learning experience for me. There were many new

techniques I learned from the teacher I was with. I not only learned from the teacher but from the

students as well. I was able to work with inclusion students and have that experience when I had

not before this service learning project. The teacher I worked with also showed me different

ways to help students learn the material in different ways. She showed me how to prepare the

material for the students in a way they would each learn it. The time I had in the classroom was

truly a blessing and an experience that I will use for my future career.

Revisit the prologue. Have your expectations been met? Some of my expectations were met through this service learning experience. I had a chance to

see real situations in a classroom. I was able to see all different types of students and how they

learned. I was able to learn how to prepare the teaching material for inclusion students which

was a huge learning experience for me. This service learning project was a wonderful way for

me to get my hands in there and learn from a real classroom. I believe there are many more

things I could have learned if I would have had more time in the classroom with the teacher I

worked with. I was able to see some of the difficulties of having inclusion students in the

classroom. I would have liked to been able to see other obstacles that teachers are faced with

daily so I would also be prepared, or at least have experienced it, before I go into my own class

in the future. For the small amount of time I was allowed with this project, I believe my

expectations were met as efficiently as possible.

How have you been surprised, delighted, or dismayed by the experience? Give

specific examples. This whole experience was such a blessing and surprise at the same time. I never realized how

much I wanted to be a teacher until I was able to work in a classroom and get a feel of the real

thing. It was extremely hard for me at the end of this experience because I did not want to stop

going to the classroom and working. Every day I was in the classroom, I was able to work with

the inclusion students, and just seeing their faces when something clicked for them reminded me

of the reason I chose this career. I was able to take some of the information I have learned in my

education class and also put it into action in the real classroom. One day, I was in the classroom

helping the students with their math homework, and instead of me teaching all the information to

them, I had them help each other and teach each other how to get the answers. The students were

so excited; they were able to not only learn the material, but also they were the ones teaching it

to somebody else. I believe by doing this, it showed the students responsibility and gave them a

sense of pride in their own work. It was delightful helping the students feel great about

themselves and their work.

How could this experience be improved? This service learning experience was a wonderful learning experience but, it could improve by

giving the service learning student more time in the classroom. I believe it would be very

beneficial to the student if he or she were able to have more time in the classroom. By having

more time, the students could have more experience with different situations that might take

place throughout the school year. The more in classroom experience the students have the better

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off they are in the future when they have their own classroom. More time can only help students

be better prepared for their future career.

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VISION FOR MY FUTURE

Here is what I want to accomplish in the next five years:

Education: Within the next five years I plan to be graduated from college with my degree in

Elementary Education. I may also be thinking about going back to school to get my masters

degree in an area but not for sure what area yet. I would also like to get my certification in

special education within the next five years. I enjoy working with the “special” students, so

within the next five years, I would like to be able to gain some experience in that area.

Career: During these next five years, I pray to have a job teaching. I prefer to stay in the lower

grades like kindergarten through second grade. My dream job would be at Hal Henard because I

already work in the extended school program there and know many of the teachers and students.

I plan on having as many extra certifications as possible to help me get a job teaching. Within

these next five years, I want to be settled in a school with my own classroom. I am very excited

for these next five years to see how I grow professionally.

Family and Friends: I want to see my friends grow in their career within these next five years

as well as myself. I want to be able to share the joy of having a career we love. As for my family,

I want to be able to help my parents as much as possible once I have a good foundation for

myself. I plan on helping them out and repaying them as much as possible in any way for

everything they have done for me throughout my life. I want to have new friendships formed

where I work. By forming new friendships with my coworkers, we will be able to work as a team

together in the school.

Involvement and Service to My Community: I plan on putting my community services into

my job. I want to work in an after school program that teachers run or a before school program.

My goal, as a teacher, is to make sure the students have an opportunity to get as much help as

they need with their school work. If the school I work at does not have extra programs for

students, I hope I can help make that happen. Students that get the extra help will be more likely

to understand the material given to them then succeed.

Personal Growth: As a person, I want to grow in my career, family, and friends. I am eager to

see where my life takes me within the next five years and what experiences I face that will only

make me grow and learn. There is always room for growth and change in a person’s life. I do not

have a specific area that I want to grow in the next five years. I just want to take in the

experiences I have with my family, friends, and career and grow from every one of them. These

next five years will be an adventure in every aspect of my life and a learning experience for me

so I can grow.

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REFLECTIONS

Here are the Knowledge and Skills that I have acquired as a direct result of taking part in this

Service Learning project:

One main skill that I acquired from this Service Learning project is organization. I saw how a

very organized classroom worked and how well each day went because of it. Another skill I

gained from this experience is patience. I learned very quickly that if a teacher does not have

patience with each student, then he or she will have a very hectic day. It takes a lot of patience to

work with some students and to plan the lesson of that day on their level. I think these are the

two main skills I could have learned from this Service Learning project in the amount of time I

was allowed with this school.

Here is how this Service Learning project ties in with my EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human

Development for Teachers class:

While working in the classroom, I was noticing many things that my teacher had talked about in

my education class. In my education class, we discussed inclusion students, different ways of

learning, and organization in the classroom. I was able to have a real life experience with all of

these. The classroom where I was placed was run in a very organized manner. My teacher had

told us in our college class to have a successful classroom you need organization. My EDUC

2010 Psychology of Human Development for Teachers class discussed all of these situations,

and everything I saw in a real life classroom was introduced to me through this class.

My Contribution to the Community

I have devoted 18 hours to my Service Learning project. Here are four lasting experiences that

are an outcome of my Service Learning project:

1. The most important experience for me through this Service Learning project was getting to

work with the inclusion students. I had this one boy I worked with that had a lot of trouble

because he had suffered a stroke at a younger age, and it was such a blessing working with

him.

2. The second experience that I know I will take into my own classroom in the future is the

daily five. The teacher I was placed with had learning centers set up for the students for part

of the morning to help them work on specific subject areas. This was a new technique that I

had not be around before but loved as soon as I saw how it worked.

3. Organization is another lasting experience I learned from the Service Learning project. Mrs.

Ward’s classroom was run very smoothly, and she was very organized. Without organization

in the classroom, things can get hectic very fast. For my future career, I will definitely keep

my classroom in an organized manner as much as possible.

4. Communication is the fourth lasting experience for me. I am typically a shy person, but this

whole experience helped me push out of my comfort zone. I branched out and was able to

communicate with the teacher and students I worked with fairly well. Communication is a

key factor in the teaching career.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Placement Journals

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education

Description: These are my journals I wrote while serving my service learning hours at

Hal Henard Elementary School for SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education.

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Prologue

Chelsea Fillers

Course: SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education

Hal Henard Elementary School

Agency’s Mission Statement/ Agency Description

The Greeneville City School System has a vision "to provide a world-class education for all

students." Hal Henard Elementary School serves children in grades pre-kindergarten through

fifth. Currently the school has about 400 students enrolled. The students that attend Hal Henard

Elementary School mainly come from middle class families. Hal Henard offers two types of after

school services for students which are: the Access Program and the Extended School Program.

They also have a clothing closet that provides students whom may need it with brand new

clothes.

Prologue Narrative:

During this service learning experience I expect to gain more knowledge in the special education

field. I do not have any experience in special education, and I am eager to see how a special

education classroom is run. I want to see what happens on a daily basis for students with special

needs. I take this service learning experience very seriously, because I could come out of this

wanting to work in special education. I believe every teacher should have time in a special

education classroom. Teachers need to know how their students are learning and growing in their

special education classes so they can also apply what they are learning in a general education

class. By having hands on experience in a special education class, I will be able to understand the

content more in SPED 2010 and apply it in my learning process. My aspirations for this service

learning experience are to gain as much knowledge and hands on learning in a special education

class as I am able. I believe this experience will be very beneficial for my career in the future.

This experience will be new for me since I have not worked around children with special needs

and might show me a new direction for my career. I do not really have any fears or concerns

about this service learning experience. I am very eager to jump right in and learn and help as

much as I possibly can in the amount of time I am allowed.

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Chelsea Fillers

03-12-14

8:45a.m. - 2:30p.m.

CDC class (Kindergarten – Fifth grade)

Overview:

On my first day of service learning I met with the principal, Janet Ricker, so she could

tell me who would be the teacher I would be placed with. She gave me the option to work with

the teacher that is constantly in the CDC classroom, or another teacher that goes into the general

education classrooms and works with students. I chose to be with the teacher in the CDC

classroom. I made this decision, because I thought I would be able to learn more about special

education if I was with the teacher that deals with just students with special needs. Mrs. CH is

the teacher I was placed with. She was so nice to me and open to accepting me in her classroom.

There are two other people in the classroom with her that assist her. One of the ladies teaches

some of the students and Mrs.CH teaches the other half. The man that is in the classroom just

helps them wherever they need him to help. They also have a speech therapist, physical therapist,

and an occupational therapist that come in on different days to work with the students. The

occupational therapist was there today while I was but I did not really see what she did because I

stayed with the other students. For most of the day I just watched what was done so I could get a

feel for their daily routine.

I was beyond nervous to start this service learning because I have never really been

around children with special needs. Once I got in the classroom and watched a little I got a little

more comfortable. Mrs.CH made a very impactful statement to me towards the end of the day

that really made me think, she told me “special education is all about showing them they have

choices and pushing them to be as independent as possible.” Throughout the day she would

mention how dependent her students are because their parents do literally everything for them

and that does not help them in the long run. That was one of the concerns I had going into this

service learning, I was not sure how much to do for the students and what they were expected to

do on their own. As I watched the teachers in the class, they expected the students to do

everything on their own as much as possible with a little guidance if needed. Once I realized how

the class was run I was starting to feel at ease about being there. My first day was definitely an

eye opening experience just seeing how well the students did and how smart they are. Although

some of the students had problems with talking they were still able to communicate what they

meant and wanted. It was truly a blessing to see how they catch on to material so quickly and I

quickly grew to adore them in a short time. One little boy would look at me every time he got

something correct and give me two thumbs up to show that he knew he was right. It would tickle

him when I would, in return, give him two thumbs up to show approval, and I was proud of him.

After the nerves went away I was in my element and loved being there to help work with the

students on their assignments.

Reflection:

Affect- My nerves were all over the place today at the beginning, but as the day went on I

started to become more relaxed and in my element. As I watched the students do their

daily routine I was enlightened by what all they were able to do on their own. The feeling

was overwhelming to see how smart they were and I was so proud of them even though I

just met them today. So many people have an image in their head of people with a

disability and today I watched students prove the negative mindset people completely

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wrong and it was so astounding. I helped students work on their daily work where they

write their basic information then I helped them work on computers. They were able to

use technology just fine and perform on a level that someone would expect students their

age to perform.

Behavior- During my first day of service learning I tried to be as helpful as I could. Any

time the teacher asked me to assist a student or run an errand for her in the school I was

more than willing to do so. I am there to learn as much as I can from them. I quickly

learned a method about special education in my first day; special education is showing

the students they have choices. As I watched today, I noticed that the male assistant felt

like he needed to help the students do things instead of letting them do it on their own

when they could. If I could do something differently from him it would be to let the

students do things on their own more often. Many times he was quick to jump in and do

something for them without letting them try it on their own. I think they need to have a

chance to do everything on their own and then if I see they need assistance then I will

help.

Content- In this CDC class I realized that they do co-teaching with their students. The

two teachers are teaching the same material, but they each have a group they worked

with. This type of co-teaching is known as parallel teaching, which I learned about in my

special education class. Both of the teachers teach the same material and in the same way,

they just split the classroom up so that they can focus better on each of the students. I

enjoyed getting to see co-teaching hands on and especially in a special education

classroom.

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Chelsea Fillers

03-18-14

8:45a.m. – 11:45a.m.

CDC class (Kindergarten – Fifth grade)

Overview:

I was more comfortable going into my second visit in Mrs. CH’s classroom. When I got

there the other teacher told me that Mrs.CH was not there so I was able to really help more. Miss

R was the teacher I worked with, she is the second teacher in the room that works with the other

group of students. The first half of my visit I observed the students do their circle time with Miss

R. During their circle time the school resource officer came in to listen to the students tell what

their phone number and address was. The students were so excited to show somebody in the

school what they had learned. Although I had not been there to help the students learn this

material, I felt a sense of pride in what they were able to tell him. I was so proud of them for

showing their knowledge and what they could do.

The second half of my second visit, I was able to work with three of the students one on

one with their assignments since Mrs.CH was not there. While Miss R worked with her students

I had Mrs. CH’s students on the other side of the room. They have a daily routine that they all

know very well. They were able to show me what they needed to be doing and what order they

needed to do it. I helped a little girl practice writing her name by placing my hand on hers as she

wrote her name. She is a very smart little girl and could write her name on her own, but Mrs.CH

told me previously that if you hold her hand and keep her on track that she does so much better.

By placing my hand on hers I gave her a security blanket and reassured her that she could do

this. It is amazing to see all the abilities each of the students have. I was also able to help

motivate this one little boy to write his full name by rewarding him with a smiley face each time

he did it correctly or giving him thumbs up. He knew that if he got it correct he would get the

thumbs up and he also knew when he messed up because he would look at me and put his

thumbs down. It was a joy to see him thinking hard to do his work correctly and also see where

he made a mistake. The third student I worked with had a little stubborn streak in him and had a

hard time getting his work done like the others. Eventually he started his work and got it done

quickly. Once he started he knew exactly what he was doing it was just getting him to start and

do it, but the smiley faces helped motivate him to do so. The teachers reward the students for

many things in this class, and I believe that is a good thing, because it brings out the correct

behavior in them and pushes them to complete their assignments. By the end of my time in my

second visit the students were going to lunch so I was not able to see them eat lunch again. When

this one little boy decided to be stubborn with me about doing his work it made me realize how

much patience a special education teacher has to have. Many of these students want to do things

their way and in their time, and it takes a special teacher to be able to handle them when they

buckle like this student did. The main lesson I learned from my second visit was the patience it

takes to be a special education teacher. Anything can happen in the special education classroom

with the students and the teacher has to be able to handle it without getting all flustered. I learned

that if the students see you be impatient then that will make the situation harder on everybody

involved.

Reflection:

Affect- I felt like I really helped out during my second visit of service learning. With

Mrs.CH being absent for the day the other teacher really needed some extra help. I was

more than pleased to assist the other students. I felt like my second visit was a big insight

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for me, so I could see what it was like to have a group of students on my own. I was able

use my skills and help out where needed. My efforts seemed very affective for the

students, the other teacher, and I. It was a joy to watch the students work on their

assignments mainly on their own with little guidance from me. Most of the time when the

students’ teachers are out for the day it is difficult to get them to do their work, but these

students worked very well on their assignments and showed me what they knew.

Behavior- My behavior during my second visit was very open to help any where I was

needed. Miss R seemed to really glad to have the extra help in the classroom. She was

very helpful to me as well on explaining what I needed to do and how to push the

students. I really enjoyed Miss R’s guidance during my second visit at Hal Henard. As I

watched Miss R during the day I noticed how well she worked with the students and how

she knew just what to do to get them to stay on track with their assignments. By watching

her it helped me know how to handle the three students I worked with during my second

visit. When the one student started being stubborn about his assignment I think I could

have thought of some ways to help motivate him instead of just letting him take longer to

finish his assignment. Mrs.CH has made comments to me that she does not let the

students finish assignments half way that she expects them to finish fully and they are to

do it in a certain amount of time to stay on their schedule. Next time I think I will try my

best to think of creative ways to help the students stay focused on their assignments, so

they get finished when they are suppose to.

Content- We have discussed motivational methods to help the students focus during

school on their assignments. I can take these methods and tips and apply them next time

with the students in Mrs. CH’s classroom so that I am helping the students to my full

ability. We have also discussed in my special education class about rewarding the

students for doing a good job as a motivational method and I saw this in my service

learning during my second visit. The students are rewarded with a smiley face or sticker

whenever they finish an assignment correctly and if they do not they are asked to think

about it again. I really liked that I got to view this in person, and see how Miss R talked

to the students about really thinking about the questions and not just rushing through the

assignment. The reward system set up in this classroom is a great way to motivate the

students to push for their best. I was able to incorporate it myself while I was working

with Mrs. CH’s students. The students knew when they got something correct they would

be rewarded and I was able to use this to motivate them to really think about what they

were working on.

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Chelsea Fillers

3-20-14

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

CDC class (Kindergarten – Fifth grade)

Overview:

I went into my third visit eager to learn and help in the classroom. When I arrived the

students were finishing up breakfast and reading books until circle time. The students always

have circle time for an hour with Miss R to begin their day. During circle time the students have

to tell what the day, month, and days of the week are. They are also responsible for reciting their

name, phone number, and address to Miss R. I learned a new activity for the students to do or

any student that is. During circle time, at the very end, the students do brain gym. These are like

little exercises to give them a break from their work and relax their minds. I had never heard of

these until Mrs.CH explained them to me and I thought these were really neat. I was also able to

work on the students’ daily schedules while they were in circle time. Each student has a schedule

where he or she takes pictures that represent activities they do during the day, and they are

responsible for putting the pictures in order. I prepared the pictures on one side of the schedule

for the students and all they were to do was put them in order on the other side of the schedule.

The schedules help the students know where they go and what they will be doing throughout the

day.

After circle time the students split up into their groups for their morning assignments.

This was when I was able to work one on one with some of them. Miss R pulled out one of her

boys for me to work with on his reading assignment. I took him to part of the room to work with

him without any distractions. Miss R informed me which words he was having difficulty with

and that was the words we worked on. It was great to see him read his story and know what the

words were without me having to help him. I was glad to assist him with the words that he

stumbled on the first time he read the story. Part of his problem was going through the book too

quickly and not paying attention to what the words really were and just guessing at them so he

could finish. Part of the one on one interaction helped this student to slow down and really read

the book without just guessing at what the words were. If I would just ask him what sound each

of the letters in the word made he was able to read the word to me. I was so glad that I could help

him and get him to finally read the book on his own without my assistance. We read the book

together about five times and by the end of those times he was able to get all the words on his

own. I also noticed during his reading that he was memorizing the book because he would start

telling me what the next page would say before he even turned the page. I informed Miss R of

this, and she was not aware he was doing that. This helped her realize that she needed to do

something different with him for the words he was having difficulty with. After I worked with

this student on his reading I sat with him while he worked on his typing assignment. Each of the

students are suppose to read their story then go type the vocabulary words three times each and

type a sentence using those words. I was able to work with this student on the words he was

having a difficult time, because instead of just typing the words like he normally would do I

would have him read to me every time what he was typing. This little boy is such a smarty young

boy and could do anything he wanted with a little bit of extra attention and if he was slowed

down. It was really great to see how quick he caught on and learned the words he was having

difficulty to begin with. After I worked with this student it was time for the students to go to

lunch. Each of the students goes to lunch at different times. The students are supposed to go to

lunch around 11:30, but if one of them is still working on an assignment they stay in the class

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with one of the teachers until they are done. I stayed in the class and worked with some of the

students that needed to finish up on their assignments while the others went on to lunch. Once

these students finished up their assignments I took them to lunch and sat with them. Some of the

students needed help feeding themselves. There is one student that doesn’t eat anything but baby

food or soft food like pudding. Miss R has to feed him every day then on some days there is a

therapist that comes in just for lunch to feed him then she leaves. Mrs.CH never goes to lunch

with the students unless one of the other teachers is out for the day. I am happy I was able to sit

through a lunch with the students and see what help is needed. For the most part the students are

able to eat on their own and eat pretty much anything they want expect for the one little boy.

During lunch the students have to be kept focused or they will not eat as much like they should.

After lunch we took the students back to the room for them to read books or play games on the

computers. The time after lunch is just some time for the students to relax and take a break. They

are still doing educational games on the computer but in a fun way that catches their attention

better than their normal assignments. After about 45 minutes to an hour of this we took the

students outside at the end of the day. I was able to go outside with the students and help watch

them. The students got out there and played like any other child would do. Miss R told me that

some of the students have a harder time going to play than some children. She said it is a comfort

thing with them they do not like to venture outside their comfort level so some of them just stay

in one spot on the playground which I was able to see in person. Many of the students stayed

close to the teachers instead of going to play. My third visit was such a learning experience for

me and I really enjoyed helping out while I was there.

Reflection:

Affect- I feel like my third service learning visit was my most affective so far. I was

really able to help the teachers and the students. This visit also helped me see how the

lunch period works with the students in the cafeteria. I had never really thought about the

students having trouble eating until I went with them and saw what went on. It was

interesting to see how the students behaved and ate during lunch. Before lunch my

actions were very affective in the classroom. I was able to work with the students and

help motivate them to finish their assignments. Mrs.CH always reassured me that what I

was doing was a great help and very affective with the students. I was able to see how

some of the students can have trouble staying motivated with their assignment or even

getting started on it. I got to work with a student that had problems staying focused and

getting started. This helped me learn what actions I could take to help a student focus on

their assignment. From my experience with this student I learned that a positive

motivational method is rewarding the student with a sticker, smiley face, or etc. I was

thrilled once I was able to get the student to start his work and help him get it finished.

Behavior- During my third visit, I noticed how the teachers would get a little frustrated

with the students who were not staying focused on their assignments. One of the teachers

would just walk away from the students and leave them sitting there. I did not think this

method was neither affective nor helpful to the students. By walking away from the

students the teacher is not motivating them to stay focused. When I was having issues

with this one student to get him to work on his assignments I did not walk away and leave

him sitting there. I felt like I needed to help push him and show him he could get the

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assignment done no matter how long it took. Mrs.CH was very pleased with me for

staying with him and motivating him to finish up his work. Many of the times the

students think if they just be stubborn and not do the work they will get by with it and not

have to do it. If the teacher will stick by and motivate them the students will achieve so

much more.

Content- We have discussed how some students have a hard time staying motivated

especially depending on their diagnosis. I noticed during my service learning that this

was definitely the case. The little boy I was working with that had a hard time focusing

and staying on track was diagnosed with Down syndrome. It was difficult for this young

boy to pay attention to me while I was trying to help him with his writing assignment. He

would just start looking around or saying random words. This diagnosis also affects his

communication which makes it difficult for him in the classroom because he cannot

communicate what he wants or knows with actual words he just makes sounds that sound

somewhat like the words he is trying to say. The teachers have to listen very closely to

him when helping him because of his lack of language development. This can also make

it frustrating for the teachers and the student when working on assignments. This is where

good motivational skills come into play with this student. By reminding him that he gets

rewarded when he finishes his assignment will help him to stay focused and motivated.

By motivating him this helps him to become academically successful in his classes.

While I helped this student I kept thinking about the characteristics that influence

learning that was discussed in my class. I also thought about the tips that had been

discussed in my class that will help me when I work with students like this boy. I can

take what I learned during my third visit and apply it in the future in my career.

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Chelsea Fillers

4-1-14

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

CDC class (Kindergarten- Fifth grade)

Overview:

When I got to Hal Henard for my fourth service learning visit the students were finishing

up breakfast and reading books. After about ten minutes of being there the students went to circle

time. Usually during circle time I sit next to the students and watch them during circle time but

this time Mrs.CH had me help her somewhere else. She asked me to help her sort out her books

for this month. Each month she has weekly topics for her books. This month is the Special

Olympics so one of the weekly topics was going to be exercise so I had to find books that were

about exercise or had some form of exercise in them. The next few weeks were focused around

spring and Easter so I helped look for those books. This took me the whole circle time, because

Mrs.CH had so many books. She told me that you can never have too many books as a teacher

and to start getting books for my class as soon as possible. I have noticed that classrooms I have

been in have had many books but that is good because it encourages the students to read more

which builds their vocabulary. Most of the time Mrs.CH has the students read books during their

down time. So Mrs.CH wants the students to be reading books that are centered around the

weekly topic on the calendar.

After I worked on the books I was able to work with the students one on one like I

normally do. Mrs.CH pulled one of the students out for me to work on his reading with him. He

just started a new book and needed some extra help on the words in the book. He did fairly well

the first time we read the book together. We continued to read the story together five times.

Mrs.CH informed me that she will say the word then have him say it while they read the book.

She also will say the letters in each word and have him repeat what she says then put the letters

together and say the word and have him repeat that as well. I tried this method with him while I

worked with him on my own and it seemed to help him understand the words better. When I

broke the words down for him it helped him read the word correctly and not get it confused. By

the end of the five times he only needed my help slightly with a few words. After I worked with

this little boy I was asked to go help the students on their typing homework. Some of the students

have a hard time staying on track while they are at the computer because they will start looking

around the room or playing with other students. Once I got all the students done with their typing

homework it was the end of my service learning time for the day.

Reflection:

Affect- I felt like I was very useful today for the teachers and students. I was able to

assist a student with his reading that may have not got the extra help if another adult

would not have been there. This student seemed like he was excited to work with me on

his reading. While I have watched the teachers in this class interact with the students, I

have noticed how sometimes the students will whisper and not talk with their normal

voice while working with the teachers. Mrs.CH told me to make sure that the student I

was working with read to me with a loud clear voice like she knows he can do. While I

was working with him, he started to whisper in the middle of the book and I told him we

would not read a book like this. He was very responsive to me and showed me he could

read with his big voice instead of whisper. I was very pleased that he listened to me like

he would the other teachers. While I work with the students sometimes I have been afraid

the students would not listen to me like they do the other teachers but this student showed

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me the same treatment he does the other teachers. When Mrs.CH walked by and saw how

well I handled the student she seemed very happy with my efforts with him. Her simple

facial reaction reassured me that I was doing the correct thing with this student.

Behavior- My behavior during my fourth service learning visit made me feel like I really

helped a student and applied what I had learned by watching the other teachers. Mrs.CH

kept thanking me for all the help I was doing in her classroom with the students and

around the room. A task that she said would take her days I helped out with and just took

about an hour to do. Mrs.CH had me help the students that needed extra assists on certain

things and I really liked getting to do that. I felt like I was really making a difference for

those students in their education by giving them the extra attention they needed. By doing

this it made me realize that I need to think of creative ways to get the students more

interested in their assignments instead of the same routine over and over. I know by

keeping these students on a routine it really helps them, but I think adding some fun

activities in their routine would make learning more interesting to them and get their

attention better. While I was reading the story with the student I could have made a game

with the words in the story so it would help him learn the words other than just having

him read it over and over. Some students will remember more material if the material is

made into an active format.

Content- While I was doing my service learning the INTASC standard number two come

to my mind. Each of the students are different and learn differently so what works for one

may not work for the other. So while I was working with this student on his reading

although he was use to just reading the book over and over maybe a new concept would

have helped and challenged him more. While I was reading with him I noticed that he

knew the words, but would wait on me to tell him and then just repeat what I said. So

while this method may work with some of the other students I felt like for this particular

student something else could have been done for him to really learn these words instead

of me reading them and him repeating me. This could also apply to the standards under

instructional practice section. Many times teachers have to adjust their lesson plans to fit

the students’ needs. I agree with the concept of having the student read the story a few

times but just having him repeat what I said I believe wasn’t to affective for him. To push

him more we could have added more to the reading assignment than just reading over and

over. My fourth visit was a very enlightening day for me and helped me realize when I

have my own class I need to make sure I think of creative ways to help the students and

make learning fun for them.

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Chelsea Fillers

4-3-14

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

CDC class (Kindergarten– Fifth grade)

Overview:

I was eager to start my fifth and final day of service learning. I have had such a delightful

time being in the CDC classroom and working with the staff and students. When I arrived

Mrs.CH told me I was going to get to work with her group. I was the one that got to sit with them

and help them work on their lessons by myself while Mrs.CH worked on Special Olympics stuff.

For the first hour of my visit I sat and observed the students do circle time. I always liked

watching circle time because the students all get so into it and really enjoy the active learning

style. I noticed before circle time began though the students were just sitting there waiting on the

teacher to join them. Miss R was talking with another teacher in the room, which I did not agree

with, because what they were talking about had nothing to do with the students, it was a personal

matter. It did not seem like the right time or place, because she left the students just sitting there

for about ten minutes. Once circle time was over the students split up into their groups for their

daily morning routine.

Mrs.CH let me work with her students on their assignments while she worked on another

task. Each of the students is to first start out with magnets to spell their name with. Each time

one of them got their names correct they are rewarded with stickers or a smiley face. After the

students spelled their names they were each suppose to write their names with a pencil. Each one

of the students had a different level of writing to do. One student was just to write her name with

big print and another student was to write his name with smaller print. I tried to apply a new way

of getting the students more excited about their writing and achievements. I tried this with one of

the students that was having a hard time focusing and getting his work done. Instead of me

drawing a smiley face or putting a sticker on his page for him, I told him he could draw the

smiley face or place the sticker himself on the paper. He was so excited about getting to draw his

own smiley face. I never realized how something this small could really motivate the students to

finish their work and try hard to do it correctly. This also gave him a choice of what kind of

smiley face he wanted to draw or what kind of sticker he wanted instead of me making that

decision for him. The students did wonderful on their writing assignment for that day. They were

excited to show me their work and how well they did it. After they finished up on their writing

assignments the students moved on to their typing assignments. Once the students moved on to

typing another teacher helped them and kept them on track. I would help some of them every

once in awhile. One of the students was having trouble focusing on her typing so I sat down with

her and held the cards with her words on them. She did better on her typing once she had an

adult sitting with her guiding her to help her stay focused. Many of the students were getting

ready for lunch and Miss R asked me to stay behind with this little girl to help her finish up on

her typing. Once everybody left, I was able to give her guidance with her typing and she flew

through it. She knew exactly where the letters were and what the words were that she was

spelling. After she finished up I took her to lunch with everybody else. By the time I did all this

it was time for me to leave so I did not get to sit with the students during lunch. I had a

wonderful time being in this classroom and learned so much that I was not aware of beforehand.

I left this service learning with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and a new knowledge on

teaching that I can apply in the future.

Reflection:

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Affect- The students had such an effect on me throughout this whole experience not just

during my last visit. During my final visit I was able to work on my own and see how I

could manage the students. I feel like I did an effective job in the classroom. I feel like

when I let the student draw his own smiley face and put his own sticker on his paper that

encouraged him to do his work and pushed him to do it correctly. My actions helped him

feel good about his work which made me overjoyed. He did his work on his own and was

able to reward himself, which helped him be proud about his work. When Miss R asked

me to stay behind and work with a student on her typing it made me feel like the staff

there really had confidence in my ability and the help I could provide to the students.

Behavior- My actions showed the teachers and students my enthusiasm to be in the

classroom and help out where needed. During my time there I feel like I really helped out

and my actions were effective. One thing I learned that I will apply in my classroom in

the future is to keep my personal life at home. When I saw these two teachers talking

about their personal life and leaving the students waiting I did not think that was

professional. There is a time and place for everything and that was neither the time nor

the place. When teachers are at school the main focus should be the students not their

personal life. I also believe my positive attitude really helped the students in the

classroom especially with their homework. I tried to be encouraging to them and motivate

them to do their very best in everything they worked on. I always praised them for their

good work. I wanted to leave a lasting impression on them, a positive impression.

Mrs.CH told me she hated to see the good help go so quickly and they hoped I would

come back sometime and see them. Just within a short time, I feel like I really helped and

made a good impression on students and staff.

Content- During my college class we have talked about the characteristics that affect

learning. I was able to see examples of this hand on with some of the students. One

student I worked with had a really hard time paying attention to her assignments like she

was suppose to. We have discussed how attention is one of the characteristics that affect a

students learning ability. This student was not able to stay on track, because she could not

pay attention to her work and it would through her off. I noticed that she was not the only

student that had trouble paying attention during class. While I was helping Mrs.CH group

I had to keep telling them to focus and point them in the right direction on their

homework. We have also talked about how motivation affects students’ learning and I

was able to see that as well. I used stickers and smiley faces to motivate the students to

finish their homework and work hard to finish it correctly. I believe attention and

motivation are very much connected in a students learning. If you motivate the students

to do the very best they will pay attention in class. If a teacher uses fun motivational

techniques students will be more interested in their assignments and learning. I have

learned many techniques from this service learning experience that I will be able to apply

in my own classroom in the future.

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Epilogue

My expectations throughout this service learning were definitely met. I gained so much

knowledge from being in a special education classroom, which I would not have gained

otherwise. I went into this experience wanting to learn as much as I could from the staff and

students. Mrs.CH and the other staff were so open to me and willing to show me many different

things about special education and the students. When I first started my service learning, Mrs.CH

told me that special education is all about making sure the students know they have choices.

Every day I was in the classroom I saw how Mrs.CH reassured the students they were the ones to

make their own choices, not others doing it for them. Another thing I learned was how a special

education classroom was set up. There are pictures everywhere telling the students what things

are or how to do something. One technique I saw that Mrs.CH used to help keep the students on

track was daily schedules made with pictures. Every day the students were responsible for taking

the pictures and putting them in order to show what they would do throughout the day. I was able

to see ways to help motivate students during their daily assignments. By watching Mrs.CH and

Miss R I was able to see how teachers have to adjust their lesson plan to fit each of the students’

needs, so they give every one of them an equal chance to succeed. I would say one of the main

things I learned from this experience would be how to motivate the students. Motivation plays a

huge role on a students’ education, and teachers play a huge role in that motivation.

This experience showed me that it takes a very patient person to teach special education. These

students are so special and need extra attention throughout the day. Special education teachers

have to be very patient with the students because some of them may take more time with certain

material than other students. The classroom I was in had three teachers and eight students and

still yet some of the students in the class did not always get the attention and extra help they

might need. I noticed towards the end of my service learning experience that the speech therapist

was responsible for coming to get the students for their therapy and she was not coming like she

was suppose to be. The teachers would not take the students if the speech therapist did not show

up they just let the students miss that day. I believe the teachers should have taken the students to

the speech therapist office and not let her neglect her duties. It is not fair to the students for them

not to get the services they are supposed to receive. I think it should be the teachers’

responsibility just as much as the therapists to make sure the students are getting the services

they are suppose to. In the future, I could contribute by also making sure the students that are in

my general education classroom and CDC classrooms are getting to the appropriate special

service classes they are suppose to. By making a daily alarm or note to call the special education

teacher at a certain time for the student, reassures that the student is getting more help and

attention not just from the special education teacher. I also believe by doing this it helps the

general education teacher and the special education teacher work together more. This also

engages the general education teacher into the student’s life more, and helps them know what is

going on with that student besides just the time the student spends in the general education class.

Some of the skills I gained from this experience were motivational, creativity, and patience.

Motivation is a key aspect to getting the students to succeed. If you motivate them with creative

ways it pushes the students to want to succeed more with their best ability. Sometimes the

students will not get that motivation at home so they need the extra motivation while in school.

To motivate students a teacher must use creativity in their classroom. Fun and interesting

activities will keep the students more involved and interested in the material being taught.

Routine is a great thing for the students in a special education class, but that does not mean

creativity cannot be thrown into their daily lessons. One of the other things I learned during this

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experience was patience. It takes a special person with great patience to help overcome the

obstacles faced daily in a CDC classroom. Teachers are there to help the students be patient with

their assignments, and reassure them that it is ok if it takes them a little longer than others.

Teachers need to be patient and show the students that it takes patience to succeed and not get

frustrated or discouraged. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had in the CDC classroom and

all the knowledge I gained from the staff and students.

I have completed 18.75 hours of Service Learning. Here are four lasting experiences that are an

outcome of my Service Learning project:

1. The first lasting experience I gained from this is how to help motivate the students.

2. My next experience was seeing the excitement on a student’s face when he would get

something correct. That makes this experience wonderful to see the students grow

mentally.

3. I realized how much patience a teacher needs to have when working with the students.

4. Mrs.CH said, “special education is all about making sure the students know they have

choices”, I will never forget this because it applies to all students.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Evaluations

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: This is my field evaluation from when I did service learning with Mrs.

Jones at Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Evaluations

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human Development for Teachers

Description: This is my field evaluation from when I did service learning with Mrs.

Ward at Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human

Development for Teachers.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Field Evaluations

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education

Description: This is my field evaluation from when I did service learning with Mrs. Hall

at Hal Henard Elementary School for SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education.

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Context Statement Type of Artifact: Timesheets

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education

Description: These are the timesheets for when I did eighteen hours of service learning

with Mrs. Jones at Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2300 Introduction to

Education.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Timesheets

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human Development for Teachers

Description: These are the timesheets for when I did eighteen hours of service learning

with Mrs. Ward at Hal Henard Elementary School for EDUC 2010 Psychology of Human

Development for Teachers.

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Context Statement

Type of Artifact: Timesheets

Date: Spring 2014

Courses: SPED 2010 Introduction to Special Education

Description: These are the timesheets for when I did eighteen hours of service learning

with Mrs. Hall at Hal Henard Elementary School for SPED 2010 Introduction to Special

Education.

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Concluding Reflection I appreciate you taking time out of your day to go over my portfolio. I hope this shows

you the knowledge and skills I have gained during the first two years along my road to becoming

a future teacher. I am eager to start my final journey to becoming a professional educator. My

goal is to be an effective teacher and mentor to my future students. I look forward to sharing my

knowledge with my future students during the educational journey. I hope to be a positive role

model and guide for them.