About Jessica
My Story:
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As a future educator, I have just finished my education and feel I have only touched the surface of my experience as an educator. I had field experience at Westwood Elementary during their after school program. I worked with the kindergarteners and first graders with Miss Angie during tutoring. I also prepared an activity for the students that followed the science, math, and art curriculum. We made oobleck inside a pumpkin. The students seemed to really enjoy it, especially when they got to decorate a pumpkin and take it home. This is when I realized how much I enjoy teaching and seeing a child's face light up when they understand the material. There really is no greater joy than knowing you made a difference to a student.
After, field experience at Westwood Elementary, I furthered my teaching experience at Mulberry Elementary, during Block 1 of my education. I was placed in 2nd grade where I focused on assisting the classroom teacher during lessons and creating my own lessons focused on ESL students in the classroom. My favorite lesson I created was about clocks and being able to tell time. This lesson helped students use vocabulary when telling time and allowed students to be active during the lesson.
Then, during Block 2, I was placed at Mountain View Elementary in 4th grade. I worked closesly with students who struggled and had 504 plans/IEPs. I specifically created lesson plans to support these students, such as a lesson on mixed fraction. Each student had a fraction journal to help them conceptually understand fractions. By students working together and creating their own fraction word problems in their journals, it seemed to help them better understand fractions and apply them to the real world.
Finally, I finished my education at Northwest Elementary in a kindergarten classroom. I believe I grew the most during this experience. I learned first hand what it takes to plan every lesson during every week. I planned lessons to engage students using technology and movement around the classroom. I planned a unit on two-dimensional shapes that allowed students to use their environment to apply shapes to the real world.
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Additionally, I try to stay involved in the community and volunteer. I believe, as a teacher, it is important to know your community and the different cultures that surround it. My goal with staying involved in the community, especially with shelters, is to be aware of different families and the struggles they go through. A child can't just leave it at home. It is a part of them and is important for me, as a teacher, to understand and help provide support. After being apart of shelters in my community, I really want to start my own food pantry in my classroom.
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I plan on staying in North Carolina for the first 5 years of my career. However, I do intend on expanding my horizons and eventually teach in a different state. I am unsure of where this will be, but I am open to any opportunity that might come my way.