DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

For ED 305, my placement took place in Wheatland Middle School, an urban school from the School District of Lancaster. While here, there were many opportunities to promote social justice. For example, during one of my and my mentor teacher's prep periods, we had multiple students come in to talk. We talked to them about how we want them to prove the world's predetermined stereotypes of them wrong (that the color of their skin does not determine their future).

 

In Spring 2017, completed an independent study at an urban school to learn the benefits and challenges of teaching in an urban setting. The student I am working with and I are reading multiple books on urban teaching and are conducting our own research on urban teaching through our observations and interviewing students, teachers, and administrators from the school. I have documented our experiences and our book discussions on an online blog.

 

In SED 222, I participated in a Service Learning Project with three autistic children, one child had right sided hemiplegia cerebral palsy. I worked with the two children who have ASD by designing fun scavenger hunts that required problem-solving, reading and writing skills, social interactions with others, and fine motor skills since the mother told us these were the boys’ weakest areas. I wrote my research paper for SED 222 on how having children with disabilities can impact the parents and what a teacher should know. I also wrote an essay for a scholarship that discussed a social justice issue one of the children experienced and how I tried to make up for it.

 

In ED 151, I presented a small lesson on stereotyping students with disabilities that involved questions, discussions, checking for understanding, and communicating with students. I taught the class that students with disabilities should not be treated worse than other students because these students have extraordinary potential.

 

Last year, I attended the Poverty Simulation, which helped me grow and develop professionally, show professionalism, participate in a professional community, and reflect on teaching.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.