Teachers In Action project

1. Give Real Help Allison Love allisonlove@knights.ucf.edu April 23, 2010 EEX 4070

2. Early Perceptions I was excited to begin this project but was not sure what I was getting myself into. Once my group decided that we would help at Real Life Christian Academy I became a little more at ease; but, I was not completely sure what my coordinating teacher wanted me to do and I became a little afraid of the unknown.

3. The “Understanding Differences” module says, “Treat persons and talk to them the same way you would others of their age, even if they have cognitive differences!”

4. Introduction to the Setting

5. Demographics

6. Personal Demographics I am a full time student in the College of Education at UCF I work 2-3 days a week at a preschool, referee youth soccer games, and I am on staff part time with the City of Winter Garden’s Parks and Recreation Department I spend a lot of time with my friends and family I enjoy reading, exercising, and going to the beach

7. Engagement Activities I met with one student who was an ESOL student and had a learning disability. I met with the student several times during the semester for 30-45 minutes each time. I could not meet with her on a regular basis like I would have liked. The class had standardized testing, spring break, and several class activities that hindered me from meeting with the student regularly.

8. I worked with my student on homework and class work. She was behind in the class reading, so we worked on reading strategies, comprehension, and phonemic awareness skills.

9. How Get Real Help Started Our group leader, Sara, has worked at Real Life Christian Academy for the past 3 years and has a personal connection with all the faculty. The faculty was more than happy to work with our Service Learning Group in getting us into the classroom to gain experience with more challenging students.

10. The goal of our project was to go into the classrooms and provide individual attention to students who needed it. Although the children we worked with were not severely disabled by any means. We learned in the EEX 4070 course that students with LD or ADD are going to be apart of our future classrooms and experience with them is needed as well.

11. Participant Demographics Each member of our group worked with different teachers and different grade levels. First Grade Ms. Shirley (Heather & Sara) Ms. Cornett (Allison Carroll)

12. Second Grade Ms. Mills (Allison Love)

13. Fourth Grade Ms. Stevens (Tiffany & Rebecca)

14. Fifth Grade Ms. Perkins (Wendy) Ms. Dove (Sara)

15. Reflection of your Experience I did not realize how much of my time and myself that I was going to invest into this project until I began the project and actually met my student. I was constantly pulling from what I have learned and the resources that I have gained since I began the College of Education program. I am very glad that I was able to help the student. I learned a lot from this project; I learned a lot about myself as a student, a teacher, and a person.

16. Completing this project taught me what it means to be patient and flexible. I had to be patient and flexible with both the coordinating teacher and the student. Situations did not always go as I wanted, but they helped to teach me and prepare me for my future career. Not long ago, when I was talking to Sara about the project she said that we need to “use their differences as a means to building the proper instruction plan for that student, and remember to not be discouraged by the challenge they may present in the classroom.” This statement encouraged me to do all that I can with the student that I am working with as well as doing everything that I can to help each student in my class.