An Open Mind at the Open Classroom
By: Donna Jalosjos
I have been a student for as long as I can remember. Before doing this internship, I had some past experience working with high school students in tutoring, but I had never worked as a teacher with students from the ages of 3-10.
When I first started at my internship, I was nervous to start teaching students. I had a lesson plan that I was tasked to prepare, but I did not know what to expect from these kids. One of my first classes was with an 8-year old boy in my public speaking class. I was immediately very surprised by his impromptu speaking skills, as well as his ability to take my feedback and implement it into his speaking. It felt rewarding to see that he was becoming a better speaker, and that I had a part in helping refine a very useful life skill for him.
In my internship, there is constant change. In every given week, I will be teaching a different set of students doing a completely different course. I noticed very quickly that students can be very different. Some learn very quickly, while others need to take more time learning the material and practicing. Some can complete their assignments in little to no time, and some kids get distracted easily. This was a challenge that I had to face, as I needed to adjust my teaching style to fit the needs of the student.
I’ve had to learn how to be patient and how to be flexible. In my public speaking class, the lesson plan included a TED talk by Adora Svitak titled What Adults Can Learn From Kids. In this TED talk, she describes that kids are capable of changing the world with their ideas, and it is just as important that adults learn from kids as kids are able to learn from adults.
I have so much newfound respect for educators, especially those who teach young children. Previously, I always did the worksheets but I never thought about who was making them or how long it would take to make a lesson plan. I never thought about how patient teachers have to be when working with students that have different personalities and learning styles. I’ve had to keep an open mind about teaching, especially when the children are brutally honest to me about how interesting or dull the course is. I’ve taught a lot of content to these students, but so far, the learning has definitely been reciprocal.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.