Volunteering with Second Grade 2012-2013 School Year Description I volunteered at Byron Elementary School located in Byron, Minnesota;

which is my hometown. The teacher, Mrs. Demmer, agreed to let me help her out with whatever she needed. Part of the time I would be sorting through papers for the children, but the majority of the time I actually experienced what it would be like as a teacher. As a volunteer for a second grade classroom I would do one-on-one with the students along with a group setting of about 22 students. The amount of hours I was there volunteering added up to around 15 hours within the school year. Alignment Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment This artifact best aligns with Standard 10: Collaboration-The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students learning and well-being. My year being a volunteer for the second grade class really solidified my decision of becoming an elementary school teacher. I started out just doing paperwork consisting of giving back childrens old assignments, cleaning the classroom, and taking down old decorations as well as putting up new decorations. This gave the teacher more time to teach the children rather than having to worry about cleaning or other distractions from doing her job; teaching children vital information that they will use throughout their life such as reading, simple math skills, and spelling. As I spent my time there, Mrs. Demmer slowly let me be a part of the childrens learning. For about an hour every day, the school had workshop time, where children were split into groups of five categorized with the difficulties they were having in certain subjects. I got to work with children who had a hard time reading. I worked with the same five children every time I was there; meaning I got to see them get better each time I would test them. Working with the whole class I got to read aloud to them and help with any questions they had in any subject. All of my experience volunteering aligns with Standard 10 because in order to be able to work with the children one-on-one, I needed to form a professional relationship with the teacher in order for her to trust me. I needed to also form a healthy relationship with the school so they knew I was there to volunteer and help the community. By forming all of these relationships, I believe it will benefit me in the long run because I have had experience in the field to help overcome different circumstances that come with the job of teaching. UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Alignment This artifact best aligns with KSD4.a.: Reflects on Teaching-The candidate makes an accurate and thoughtful reflection of his/her teaching effectiveness, is aware of specific elements of his/her teaching

that contributed to successful instruction, and can offer alternative teacher action to predict the future success of alternative approaches. My volunteering aligns best with this KSD because the knowledge I gained from the whole experience. In being involved with this particular experience as well as my job at a daycare facility from November 2011 to present, I believe I am making my way to becoming a great teacher. My daycare job is not as organized as a school system, but I have learned how to deal with different children which has helped my patience grown over time. This is vital in teaching effectively because each child needs their own amount of time to process a situation. If you have no patience and you race through a lesson the children will get aggravated because they did not have enough time to process and understand. I volunteered for Speech and Sociology class and each time I would have to write a reflection about the environment I was in. So each time I volunteered with the second graders I would have to write about things I did and things that I learned throughout the process. Secondary KSDs: KSD4.b: Maintains Accurate Records KSD3.d: Provides Feedback to Students KSD3.a: Communicating Clearly and Accurately KSD4.d: Contributing to the School and District What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience: From being a volunteer for a second grade teacher I have learned that I am in the right profession choice because I enjoyed every second of it. I know I want to be a part of childrens lives even just to make the slightest difference. The teacher I volunteered for, Mrs. Demmer, is a role model and has been teaching for 21 years and still loves her job. I want that to be me someday because it is something that I am good at and enjoy doing; being a part of a childs life and making a difference. What I learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this experience: Through this experience, I have discovered that I have developed skills to help me succeed someday in being the best teacher I can be, not just for myself but for the children. I have learned to be professional and earn respect through a gradual process. In the end it is worth it knowing that all my hard work will pay off by giving it my all in order to become a teacher with the passion that I have for helping children.