Classroom Volunteer at Marion Schilling Elementary (2019-2020)
Throughout my time at Marion Shilling Elementary I gained valuable experience working with students from Kindergarten to grade 7. I had the opportunity to spend my time in several different classrooms. This allowed me to take on many tasks and observed many different teaching and learning styles. I was also able to see how certain teachers adapted their lessons or classrooms to meet the needs of the different learning styles of the students in their class. The duties I was able to take on during my time at Marion Schilling include but are not limited to:
– Assisting small reading groups on my own
– Helping kids individually with phonics, sight words, and reading
– Assisting with writing assignments including daily journal and agenda entries
– Assisting classes with art projects, math assignments, and other subject content
Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach (2016)
I had the opportunity to help coach recreational baseball for ages 6-7 in my hometown. Throughout my coaching, I was able to teach children the fundamental skills of baseball, such as throwing, catching, bating, and running the bases. This experience taught me how to break down concepts in a simple way for children to understand. I also learned how to break down the steps of a skill, in order for the children to practice working their way up to a certain skill. Although I did not know it at the time, this experience taught me valuable skills for becoming an educator. As a teacher it is an important skill to be able to break everything down in a simple way for students to understand. Having the opportunity to be an assistance coach taught me that skill.
Volunteer Soccer Coach (2015)
I also had the opportunity to help coach a recreational soccer program for grades 1-4 in my hometown. This was one of my first opportunities to teach kids an activity. Therefore, I learned a lot about what it is like to work with kids. One of the main things I learned is that every child is different and has a different set of skills. I quickly realized that I needed to explain certain drills differently to some kids for them to understand. I also realized that some drills may need to be adapted to the skill level of the child. This experience introduced me to the realities of what it is like to teach a group of students with very different skill levels, which is exactly what teaching in a classroom is like. Coaching soccer allowed me to see how individualized each child is, and the importance of adaptation.