Scribd
Upload
40 views

Service Learning Apa

The service learning experience took place at Blue Academy afterschool program working with grades 3-6 under the supervision of teachers. The student observed classroom interactions and helped lead small group lessons. This experience aligned with standards about understanding individual student differences and designing developmentally appropriate lessons. It provided an opportunity to see how student backgrounds can impact learning and behavior. The student saw examples of teachers addressing issues privately and with patience. This reinforced skills in empathy, problem-solving, and accepting student differences that the student felt they developed further for their future career as a teacher. The experience was enjoyed overall for the relationships built with students and insights into different grade levels.

Uploaded by

api-315540765
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
40 views

Service Learning Apa

The service learning experience took place at Blue Academy afterschool program working with grades 3-6 under the supervision of teachers. The student observed classroom interactions and helped lead small group lessons. This experience aligned with standards about understanding individual student differences and designing developmentally appropriate lessons. It provided an opportunity to see how student backgrounds can impact learning and behavior. The student saw examples of teachers addressing issues privately and with patience. This reinforced skills in empathy, problem-solving, and accepting student differences that the student felt they developed further for their future career as a teacher. The experience was enjoyed overall for the relationships built with students and insights into different grade levels.

Uploaded by

api-315540765
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Service Learning

Service Learning

Service Learning in the Classroom


Amanda Cross
EDUC 101

Service Learning

Standard #1: The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns
of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experiences.
Standard #2:The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and
communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high
standards.
Standard #7: The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous
learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills,
and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

Artifact: Service learning report


Class: EDUC 101
Date: April 12, 2016

Description: In this assignment I had to attend service learning at an educational facility and
complete tasks while under supervision of a teacher. I had to observe the teacher and her
interactions with students and learn different aspects of teaching a lesson and planning for the
classroom.

Rationale: I met the standards with this assignment because in service learning I was able to
directly work with a diverse group of students whom come from different cultures and we all
worked together at accomplishing our academic goal for the week. In service learning I was also

Service Learning
able to recognize the students learning patterns to better fit their personal needs on how to teach
a lesson or assist them with an assignment or homework. I was able to prepare lesson plans for
the week that met with standards the students were expected to reach academically.

Service Learning

Service Learning in the Classroom


The experience of service learning was a fun one! I completed my service learning in
Decatur Township at Blue Academy. My overseer was Cyndi Kaiser. I was also partially
overseen by Whitney McDermott and Kaylee Thielke. I was not in a traditional classroom but
yet an afterschool program. The afterschool program consisted of grades 3, 4, 5 and 6. My time
was fluctuated between grades 3 and 4. Each grade had a personal classroom to work in. The
teachers and I had the students split up into three groups. One group would work with the
teacher, the other group with me and the last group would work on homework.
Relation in classroom to service learning
My service learning went very well. While in classroom discussions I was able to relate to
topics because of things I was personally experiencing during my service learning. One situation
that comes to mind immediately is a discussion we had in class about how we treat students.
(Personal communication, 2016) We talked about how to effectively understand students
individuality. Every student is different and unique. Every student is special. Every student is
coming from a different background and we may not be aware of what is going on at home. We
have to at times be more than just a teacher teaching a lesson.
I definitely saw this in my service learning. Not only were there a vast amount of students
from several different backgrounds but they were all different economically as well. Some
students had access to things that other students did not. The afterschool program served the
students dinner because some students do not get the opportunity to be fed once they get home
after 6pm. The cultural iceberg in session 8 and our discussions really made me think during my
service learning.(personal communication, 2016) The teachers I was working with knew their

Service Learning

students well enough that they knew who would mostly be affected by serving dinner after our
group schedules.
Environment and learning
Each student comes from a different background and this affects how each of them would
conduct themselves in the classroom. Their background differences also can affect how they
learn something new. Each grade level had about 15 students and those students would be
divided into 3 groups. Each week we would work on something different. Sometimes we would
get requests from teachers to work on something that the students may be struggling with in
class. I was able to teach a couple of math lessons and reading lessons. The groups would rotate
from the 2 stations teaching lessons and the homework station. I would lead my group and we
would discuss the material and answers.
My students were pretty similar but a few had some things that they may have been
restricted on due to their backgrounds. One thing I noticed was that at dinner time some students
didnt eat the meat because either their families were vegetarians or because of their religions.
My observations were that any students difference was accepted and barely even noticed by
other students because it is not made to be a big deal that someone is different. The teachers
accepted the students differences just as welcoming as the other students. I accept this as well.
In class we discussed a lot about what affects a student and how they behave or learn. A lot
of times it is their environment at home and we are not aware of everything going on. When the
students come back to school that environment at home can affect the environment at school for
everyone. I noticed students would be pulled aside (out into the hallway) and talked with
privately when there were things going on that just didnt seem right. A big deal was not made
out of it and everyone continued along with what they were doing. I would accept that type of

Service Learning

response as a teacher to a student. I think they made the right choice in pulling the student aside
so that they do not feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. In class we discussed a lot about making
sure we are able to tend to the students individuality when needed.
Future Teacher

As a future teacher myself, I do feel like I learned some good skills from my service
learning. I learned about small things that matter. I think the biggest thing I learned that I am still
developing is patience. I have patience but one of the teachers I worked with was so much better
at having patience than I and I will be trying to take from that experience to better myself. I do
feel that I need to improve how I respond to tattling. I noticed each teacher responds to it
differently. I liked how one teacher would do a small intervention between the two if there was
time and if there was not time they would write it down in a notebook with their names and the
issue. I think that I am great at solving the problem when I have time but I need to come up with
ways to solve the problem when running out of time.
A strong skill I noticed in my service learning was empathy from the teachers to the
students. I feel that this is a strong skill for me. Over time I have developed great empathy for
children and I feel it helps make me a great candidate to work with children. Everything that I
witnessed in service learning I accepted. There was nothing for me to reject. I am aware that
there could have been things I would have wanted to refine or reject if I spent more time or
possibly spent the time with a different teacher.
Summary
The service learning was fun. I enjoyed getting to know the students and the relationships
that I built with them. Mostly I enjoyed getting to help them reach a goal or improve at

Service Learning
something they werent confident with. I think that getting to experience the classroom setting
with a teacher and observe her as well as the students gave me ideas on how I want to be as a
teacher. I think that it really helped me into opening my mind more to the different grades that I
could teach. I had originally been focused on 2nd grade but working with 4th grade made me
realize, I could enjoy the older students as well. It was overall a great experience.

References

(D. Cale, class lecture, February-March, 2015)

You might also like