I decided to start this blog for a few reasons. First of all I wanted to share and discuss some of the best teaching methods I have observed so others can take these ideas in order to implement them in their own classroom. I also want people who may not be familiar with me to be able to learn more about who I am, and how I feel about being a teacher.
First, let me tell you a bit about my background in education. I have been working in school systems since I was a teenager. I began working as a paraprofessional in the Watertown Summer School Program at Judson Elementary School. It was here that I first worked with a child with autism. I will never forget what an amazing experience this was. I remember that this child was going into first grade, and yet his writing ability was incredible. His favorite thing to do was to take a blank piece of paper and write the alphabet from A to Z. Beneath each letter he would write a word that began with that letter (Apple under the letter A for example) and then draw a picture of that word beneath that. I had never seen a child with such perfect penmanship, and his pictures were amazing as well. Academically he was far ahead of his peers, but socially he was far behind. Some of his classmates were building a tower out of cardboard blocks, and I remember him smashing it and how upset the children were. Yet even this type of "interaction" with peers was rare. Little did I know that I would be working with many children with special needs in the future.
After graduating from Providence College in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science, I was at a loss of what to do with my life. I had experience working in schools, however I never wanted to be a teacher. My major had been Psychology, and yet I had no idea what I could do with it. After working with my dad for a couple years, I decided I would apply to be a paraprofessional in special education at Thomaston High School. It was a bit of a shock working with high school students after having worked exclusively with elementary students (and also having attended Holy Cross High School where there was a dress code). I could not believe the clothes the students wore. Baggy jeans with chains hanging off them, t-shirts with skulls and corpses etc. I also could not believe how big these students were. Being 6 foot 4 I thought I would easily tower above all the students, but I was amazed at how many were only a few inches shorter than me. It was a bit of a shock to say the least, but I quickly discovered that while these students were somewhat intimidating appearance wise, they were really not much different than the students I had worked with before. After a few days I began to get to know them, and I quickly began to enjoy my new job.
The next year I was moved to the Center School. I was a bit upset at the time, but as it turned out this school would become like my second home in a few years. It was also a return to working with students with more severe problems than those I had worked with at the high school. I worked with a boy with Down's Syndrome, a girl with severe Autism, a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, and a girl who was emotionally disturbed. I was surprised to find that I felt much more at home working with these students. It was an enjoyable and rewarding experience being able to spend time with these children, and I truly looked forward to going to work every day. Even though the girl with autism would frequently scream at the top of her lungs, and the boy with Down's Syndrome was often aggressive towards his teacher, I always felt comfortable dealing with these students and their unique needs.
Then one day a regular education teacher called out sick and the school could not get a substitute in time, so they called upon me to cover for her 4th grade class. At first I was worried as I had never been in a room full of students by myself before. I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed it. Unlike the children I had been working with, these students could do work independently, and they could easily answer the questions that I asked. I missed the children in the special education room, however I realized that I enjoyed working with regular education students as well. It was then that I made the decision to go back to school to get my teaching certification.
The next year I applied to the University of Bridgeport and began taking classes at night while interning in a variety of elementary schools in the Waterbury school system. My job was to cover for teachers when they went to PPT meetings. The good thing about this was I got plenty of teaching experience. The not so good aspect of my assignment was that I seldom was able to observe teachers in the classroom because they were at their meetings, and as soon as they came back I was off to the next teacher's room to take over for them. The fact that I was in a different school each day of the week was also detrimental in my attempts to establish relationships with teachers, students, and administration. The positive aspect of this is that I now know just how important it is to have that opportunity to make those kinds of relationships, and how they can strengthen ones ability to be a truly effective teacher.
After completing my Internship I was lucky enough to be accepted as a student teacher at the Thomaston Center School under fourth grade teacher Bill Dwan. It was during these 3 months that I truly discovered my passion for teaching. The relaxed, non threatening atmosphere that Mr. Dwan had established in his classroom made it a pleasure to be his student teacher. The students were also amazing. They were eager to learn, and Mr. Dwan made the classroom feel like a true community where all the students got along well together and were quick to help their fellow classmates if they were struggling with a certain concept that was being taught. The lessons I taught in the class are ones that I still use today, and the memories I have from that period are some of my fondest.
Once I finished my student teaching I became a substitute for Thomaston Schools, and I have been working on a regular basis at both the elementary and middle schools since then. I have also been lucky enough to be the teacher for a group of 3 students during a summer school program. These 3 students had 3 different disabilities, including Down's Syndrome, Autism, and Fragile-X Syndrome. I had a wonderful time developing lessons for the children based on weekly themes such as dinosaurs, space, and pirates. If you click on the treasure hunt link above you can read the clues I made for the students treasure hunt on the last day of the program.
Last year I was the teacher for 5th grade students who attended the After School Learning Academy. This program was designed to help students who scored below level on one or more aspects of the CMT Exam, and once again I was challenged to provide students with high interest, on topic lessons and activities that would motivate tired students who had already attended a full day of school. Some examples of the activities I used in this program are available for viewing above.
I have also tutored a number of students, mostly in the subject of mathematics. I have developed a reputation for working well with students who have math phobia, as I provide children with step by step break downs of math problems, and provide constant positive feedback and encouragement. If you are interested in having your child tutored, you can contact me at my e-mail, misterpetersen@yahoo.com.
At the moment I am expanding my horizons by going outside of Thomaston to substitute, and I am hoping to find a job soon. Unfortunately, finding jobs in elementary education is extremely difficult at the moment. We all know that the poor economic times we are currently dealing with are hitting everyone hard, and unfortunately educational budgets are suffering, and many teachers are being laid off in order to balance town budgets. This is a very serious problem, and children will ultimately be the ones who will suffer, as class sizes begin to grow and specials such as music and art are cut from the schedule. I can only hope that in the coming years the importance of a good education becomes apparent to more people, and money will be invested in, rather than being funneled from, education budgets.
As the school year approaches I look forward to getting back into the classroom and doing what I love to do, spending time with students and faculty at the schools I love.
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