This summer has been an amazing experience, and I'm so thankful for the past six weeks with these people in this city. We celebrated the last week with a cruise on the Detroit Riverboat, which included lots of dancing, and food. I've grown close to all these interns over the past summer as we've all grown and changed in our process to become better educators.
I can't believe that these past six weeks have gone by as fast as they have. For the past week, we've spent the beginning part of the week reviewing for the final, and then they took their final. It was so exciting to see my students engage in the content we have been working on for the past six weeks, and to see them take responsibility for their grades. Working with these students has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I'm a better person for knowing them. |
Mentor TeacherMy mentor teacher for the summer has been a huge help in my growth as an educator. He talked me through every tough moment, and he believed in me when I was unsure about a lesson, or idea. On the last day, we went to the staff bbq, and I realized that this staff and group of people were not just teachers, but a family. I'm thankful to be consider a part of it, even if it was just for a summer.
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StudentsThis week I spent a lot of times with my students helping to improve their grades before the finals. I met with each student individually to see where they are grade wise, and then I helped them from there establish a plan for receiving the grade they desired. It was very rewarding to see how proud they were when they did get those grades in the end. It was nice to see my students take responsibility for their grades, and to are proud of themselves. I'm thankful for knowing these students and be able to work with them to help achieve their success.
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Looking ForwardIf I'm being honest, before I entered this program I wasn't sure that I would ever teach in an urban environment. Most of my information was based off what I learned through the news, or from word of mouth. I really wasn't sure what to think, but I did not really know what actually happened in an urban environment. I learned this summer that an urban environment is filled with support, hope, and love. It sounds cliche, but it is true. There is more support in this building than I've ever been surrounded by in my life, and yet against everything that they have faced they still have faith and hope that it is going to get better. As I said, it doesn't feel like a bunch of school workers and students, it feels like family, and that feeling comes from love. It is incredible to work in DPS. I feel honored to have called myself a DPS Teacher for the summer, and I honestly want to call myself a DPS teacher for longer than just a summer. My thinking has been completely changed by this experience, and I'm glad to have spent the time in this community this past summer.
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Photos used under Creative Commons from mosaic36, DaveCowieMT