Interning This Year

As the year is coming to a close, I feel that it is necessary to reflect on my experience as an intern in an 8th grade class. I've learned that knowing and experiencing are two completely different things. All of the projects/classes I have taken that involved teaching never seemed to "complete the picture" for me. I felt like something was missing in my education of how to be a teacher. My mentorship was the final piece in the puzzle.
I never thought about how hard it is being a teacher. I knew there were going to be challenges, but whew!, it's a lot of hard work! The material Mr. Cantrell is teaching is somewhat like what I am learning in my US History class, but the 8th grade standards just cover what happened in Georgia. I would have to try to keep up with the students by reviewing their textbook before I went to the classroom. Students would ask me questions and I would be able to answer them, but there were a few that I had no idea what to say, especially when they started Government and Economics; while the Federal and the State government are very similar, there are a few key differences that I needed to try to remember so I would not tell the students the wrong thing. It is these types of situations that are very hard with being a teacher; you have to know the subject inside and out (which a teacher should), and then some. Even with situations like this, I have experienced what made me want to become a teacher in the first place, relationships with the students. Mr. Cantrell has some sweet kids, and they welcomed me with open arms into the classroom, after the first awkward day, of course. The students are the reason for my desire of becoming a teacher, even through those days of frustration, the good days will always outweigh the bad.
Interning always prepares you for the future more than just learning about it. It provides a unique experience that cannot be learned in the classroom. For example, you can't learn how to swim or riding a bike just by reading how to do it, you have to jump in that pool and get on that bike! You are going to make mistakes, but that is all a part of that process. This internship was me getting on that bike. Interning in Mr. Cantrell's classroom helps me to think about the realities (good and bad) of teaching. I always hear people complain about just doing "busywork" at their internships and I want to tell them "Stop complaining! It's all a part of the experience! I'm sure the employees just as tired as you are of doing the same thing". I've learned that the "busywork" for the teacher is mainly grading, setting up Powerpoints/lectures, and creating assignments for the students. Fortunately, I've only had to grade papers once, but I've told Mr. Cantrell that I'd be happy to do it, again, it's all a part of the experience. This internship has also made me realize that I probably would not want to teach middle school, especially not 8th grade. Don't get me wrong, I love the students, but they tend to be a bit too rowdy and immature for me, plus, they are at that age where their hormones are everywhere! I feel like I would fit better in a high school setting, where I could teach multiple subjects such as US History, World History, and even Comparative Religions. I do not think I would be able to teach one thing all day, I would probably go insane. Through all of this, teaching is still one of my top choices of what I would want to do when I am older. Honestly, it is no longer my number one option, but it is still up there.
Some advice I would give to future Honors Mentorship students is to enjoy your mentorship. Do not dwell on the "busywork" you have to do. It's all a part of the experience and you will probably have to do the same task if you begin that career. Also, you will get out of your mentorship what you put in it. Show interest and enthusiasm in your internship and your mentor will respond! You have the chance to make your internship a wonderful and beneficial experience. Do not be afraid to talk to your mentor about any concerns about that career or ask any questions, they will be happy to answer you. Remember: they didn't have to be a mentor, they chose to do this, they want to help us understand their career.


Sometimes, I like to look up on YouTube "How To Be An Awesome Teacher", I found this video that I believed that really helped me realize what I would need to implement in my classroom.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bIQ4-3XSxU

At one point this year, I was having a hard time with loving the idea of being a teacher. A very good friend of mine noticed that, and sent me this. This reminded me of why I chose to look into teaching. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs

~Sarah

How Do You Feel About...

   Public speaking. You know the feeling you get? Your heart is racing as you walk to the podium, your throat becomes dry and scratchy even though you just had a sip of water, you stand behind the podium and look at the blank faces of your audience, some bored, some curious as to what you have to say. You look at your notes and feel the blood rushing to your face, you wonder, "Is it getting hot in here? Is it too late to go to the bathroom?" This is the moment you have prepared yourself for. You take one last look at your notes, fidget once more, look up, take a deep breath, and...

   This week's post is about, I hope you guessed it, **Public Speaking!**

   For many of us, public speaking, especially to a large crowd, is the equivalent to jumping out of a high speed plane into shark infested waters. Scary, right? The situation above applies to many of us, as it described me up until about last year. I was not a fan of public speaking. I know what some of you are thinking, "If you don't like public speaking, then why do you want to be a teacher?" It's a fair question, but I have always known that I needed to become comfortable with speaking if I wanted to become a teacher, so I conquered my  little fear of public speaking. I will admit, I still get jitters beforehand, but I walk to the podium with confidence and once I begin my speech, they disappear.

   I recently watched a video about public speaking. Its main idea to help you sound confident with public speaking, even though you're not. They have a method called the "Triple-P Method". The first P is to Prepare! You need to know whatever you are speaking about like it's the back of your hand. People will notice if you just worked on it the day/morning before. Know how you are going to present it. Certain topics work well with certain types of presentations (powerpoints, speeches, etc.) but others do not. Try to make a presentation that is appropriate to the topic. You need to hook your audience! Tell an interesting fact, tell an anecdote, capture the audience's attention. Finally, make your conclusion epic! You want to make yourself and the topic memorable! That's the whole point of making a speech or presentation! The next P is Posture and Physicality. You want to appear natural as possible, so don't slouch or look like you a steel rod strapped to your back. You will be uncomfortable and your audience will see that. Do not read off of your notes. It's okay to glance at them once in a while to remind you what is next, but I have noticed that reading off of notes will make you sound like a robot, monotone and boring. The final P is to Pander to your audience. Unless the situation calls for it, try not to be super serious. Again, do not read off your notes. Speak with a natural cadence and project your voice. You are in command of the room, so sound confident! Fake it till' you make it when it comes to sounding confident! Confidence is key! To help your nerves, make a joke. If that doesn't make anyone laugh, no worries! Make the fact that how your joke did not get any laughs a joke. Using these three P's will definitely help one's presentation sound amazing. I cannot stress how much sounding confident is important when presenting a topic. You want your voice to be heard and your topic to be remembered in a positive way, being confident will do that!


~Sarah



Here is a link to the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tShavGuo0_E

The Journey of a Teacher

Throughout the year, I constantly need to ask myself, "Is this what I want to do when I am older?". It is an important question that we must all ask ourselves when in any internship. This is what Honors Mentorship is all about. They take teens in high schools, place them in internships, help us become aware of the realities of our dream jobs with a mentor, and help us answer this question in the end. For a large part of my life, teaching was (and still is) something I have considered as my future career. Getting there might be hard and confusing, so some of this post will be dedicated to what I would need to do to become a teacher.

• Obviously, a high school diploma or a GED is required
• In college, after you complete your Core classes, go through the Education pathway/major and focus on whatever subject you want to teach (Social Studies in my case). Do required hours with a mentor, take subject test
• Earn a Bachelor's Degree in the subject area you would want to teach or in Education
• Teachers must have a license/certificate to teach in a certain state. You have to take a test for this certificate

Although my list is short, I figured that a basic, summarized list would be best because everyone's journey is different. These are just the requirements necessary for becoming a teacher, specifically, in Georgia. If you would like to learn more, I will attach a link to a website that has always helped me in the past and where I got this information from.

On a different note, growing up with a parent that works in Education, I have always known what the basic tasks of a teacher were. Also, being a student right now, I see my teacher doing what I would probably be doing when I become a teacher. Luckily, I'm not going in this blindsided. As technology is being used more in the classrooms, teachers (especially Mr. Cantrell) are doing everything online (which makes grading a lot easier). I had the opportunity this week to sit with Mr. Cantrell in a Canvas (online program for students and teachers) Meeting. Another teacher, Ms. Jones, sat with me and walked me through the program and taught me how to post assignments, grade them, and basically all of the useful tools Canvas offers. It is definitely a program I hope to be able to use in the future.  

~Sarah

https://secure.gacollege411.org/Career_Planning/Career_Profile/Career_Profile.aspx?id=Lke6IRyX7CbNKcfNlRibZAXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&screen=1

Final Project Update

As the final project presentation is coming closer and closer, I am slowly but surely gathering all of my information needed for this project. Each weekend I devote some of my homework time to researching my topic of PBL. I believe I am almost finished with the internet research portion of my project, as the information is becoming very repetitive. This week or next week I plan to create a student survey about if they believe PBL is effective or not and interview more teachers about PBL in their classrooms. Thankfully, all of my research process is almost complete and I can begin creating my website!

~Sarah

Interview with Mr. Cantrell

 This week I have had my first interview for my big end of the year project. For my first interview, I had chosen Mr. Cantrell, who I believe is a great source to get my information from because he incorporates Project Based Learning in every unit he teaches. Below I will list my questions (S:) and Mr. Cantrell's reply (MC:).

S: How do you incorporate PBL in your classroom?
MC: I used to do it a lot more than I do now. What I try to do, is scale down from the PBL schools (see below) and since we have had such a 21st century learning type of goal at Davis, I try to have all of my projects with digital possibility, where they can take something and make it into a video or a student can take it and make it into a digital presentation, or something like that. I have had a student make a presentation of the colony of Savannah [GA] out of a Minecraft, where they can go on and physically build it by coding. That's what I try to drive that out of.

S: How can PBL vary from school to school?
MC: The big thing with education now, is differentiation. You have students that learn better by hearing it, students learning things better by writing things down, and you have some students that learn things better if they can [physically touch/manipulate things] (kinesthetic) and that's the whole basis of PBL. I have been exposed to the traditional PBL theories... but that can be really expensive for schools, you almost have to have a charter school scenario in order to afford to be able to do that. Those schools have all kinds of incredible projects.

S:How do you think PBL has helped your students?
MC: It's a different approach. For example, I can explain what a North Star Quilt (a quilt used for the Underground Railroad to signify a safe house) is and how it was used, but if you spend time to actually construct one for a project, it's going to give you a better appreciation for it. To be able to say "Here, I made this, I did this" is something that is really unique. The students become more interested and they tend to understand the material better.

S:What kind of projects have you found to work well/not well with students?
MC: One of the projects that I do every year with the Civil War is the Mammoth Project. I give the kids all kinds of options. I've had students make quilts, flags, dioramas, cakes, and hardtack (a extremely hard cracker that many soldiers to eat, trust me... it's like a rock). It fires up the kids who don't really want to read or watch a video or something like that. I have learned that kids making videos does not work really well. It tends to be kind of the worst case scenario, because the students get giggly and silly, and it ends up being 1/3 the project and 2/3 [bloopers]. Video projects tend to be better if only one person does it. What really works well, is the type of project that is open ended. The kids can do whatever they are good at; even coming up to me and asking me to do something that they feel would be better.

S: What kind of students do you believe work well with PBL?
MC: It's funny how the students who would knock a project out of the park are usually the ones in the class, who sit by themselves, kind of the square peg that does not necessarily fit in (I love this comparison!),  and sometimes even ostracized by the rest of the students come in and do unbelievable things. That's the one that really gets fired up about these kinds of open-ended projects. It's that one wallflower (also love this comparison!) that comes up with stuff that you weren't really expecting. That's where it really hits home.

S: What would you suggest for kids who do not work well with PBL?
MC: The best thing to do is to try to make the project where the students can do whatever they may be good at. For example, if they are not good at public speaking, then they can create a project where they could just show it on the projector and have it present itself (like the Mindcraft project mentioned earlier). If that person does not really work well, then try to give them an alternate assignment.

S: Have you noticed any drawbacks of PBL?
MC: It's very tough for me (teachers) to grade properly. I try to set my rubrics up to reward the people that put the most effort into it, but if you can tell someone put a lot of effort into their project, but is still not very polished because maybe it just wasn't part of their skill set, I try to take that into account. It's still hard for me to grade. I have to be really careful to be fair to those who put a lot of work into their projects and make sure the grades reflect the actual project itself.

S: What other teaching strategies do you prefer to use in your classroom, besides PBL?
MC:I try to do a balanced approach. I do some lecturing, even though I'm not a huge fan of lecturing notes, but I also know that realistically, when my 8th graders get to high school, that is going to be a lot of that going on.

S:How do you think technology has impacted PBL and other strategies?
MC: New technology has made it to where [teachers] can incorporate PBL more in their classrooms. It can make schools into an almost 100% PBL environment very possible. The students are able to do so much more. I have shown students websites where they can make their own music by layering different instruments. They can use these kinds of sites to make their own background music. They can post their videos. It just really opens up a lot of possibilities. You can go anywhere with technology and make almost anything.

S: What kind of advise would you give to new teachers about PBL or other strategies?
MC: Especially when you are doing student teaching, rely a little on your mentor to give you ideas of things you can do. It's always good to use resources such as the internet, YouTubing, educational organization websites, teacher blogs, and things like that to get ideas. You really need to do things that work well with you. If you don't believe it, you are not going to be able to convince a group of students to believe that. What I would recommend for your first few years of teaching, is to do what the other teachers are doing in your subject area in order to get a feel of what you like, dislike, or how you would change something to fit what you like better.


 Mr. Cantrell made some really good points in his interview. It's very important to incorporate different ways of teaching for those kids who learn differently. It's always good to mix things up with the lecturing and note-taking to the projects. I like Mr. Cantrell's idea of keeping projects a little open-ended. That way, kids can shine with whatever they may be good at. I do remember being in his class some odd three years and really enjoying that I could do something different, since I am not incredibly tech-savvy, I was able to create something with what I was good at. I do believe that technology has a big impact on PBL, and it can be hard to incorporate PBL if there is not readily available technology. You really need technology to implement PBL in your classroom. To add to the drawbacks of PBL, I have read that PBL can be very time consuming along with what Mr. Cantrell had mentioned.
 I have defiantly learned many things from Mr. Cantrell's interview, as I hope that my readers had also and can use this information for my project.


~Sarah

Project Based Learning

As mentioned in my previous post, I have chosen Project-Based Learning (or PBL) as my topic for my Honors Mentorship final project/presentation. There were many topics I could have chosen for teaching, but I believe that the PBL research I must do will benefit me the most for my future classroom because history can be a difficult subject to teach, and you have to be able to engage students or they will not remember or understand the material. PBL is a wonderful way to engage the students! Through this project, I want to know if PBL helps students understand the material better. I want to learn about the projects I could assign that would be helpful to students. I need to know what will engage students the most! That's why my project would be about distinguishing and evaluating the pros and cons of PBL and comparing and contrasting PBL techniques with other teaching strategies- What is PBL? One of my ideas for this project, is to use real-life examples. I could use some of the wonderful projects that I have seen in Mr. Cantrell's class to demonstrate the effectiveness of PBL. I plan to interview teachers, conduct student surveys and interviews, as well as research to help answer my essential question/statement. I am doing this in order gain a perspective of how teachers feel about PBL and their experiences of using projects in their classrooms. I think that the students surveys would also provide an unbiased (I would be considered biased) student view of projects and their effectiveness (or ineffectiveness). These can lead me into finding out what I can do to engage my students in history.

~Sarah

My Style of Teaching

When becoming a teacher, one must think about what teaching strategies he/she believes will benefit the students the most. There is the ever classic textbook-type teaching and the lecture style of teaching, but I have become very interested in the project-based learning style of teaching. Sure, a good balance of every style must be presented to the students, as each student learns differently, but I believe a project-based style of teaching would really benefit students. I believe so, because for each project, a student must do his/her research on their own instead of me just reciting them the information (which I would have to do first, then they would have to research more info for their projects). If they have to look up information, usually the information would stick with them more. The students have the opportunity to dig deeper in whatever we are learning about at that time. It is also beneficial in that projects typically encourage creativity and individuality. It seems like in today's society, we are not encouraging creativity as much as we should. The students might be able to do something they are passionate about and go above and beyond with their project.

 My mentor, Mr. Cantrell, uses this strategy in his classroom. They do a project for every standard. For example, they are beginning to work on a project Mr. Cantrell dubbed "The Mammoth Project"(which it truly is); the students have to look more into the lives of soldiers and events of the Civil War. They can make a North Star quilt (quilt to indicate a safe house of the Underground Railroad), make a regiment flag, create a diorama of a battle, and basically anything they would like to do (with the approval of Mr. Cantrell) that they are passionate about to learn more about the Civil War. I remember doing this project when I was in his class (an odd 3 years ago) and I learned so much more than I would have reading a textbook or taking notes about it. I really enjoyed this project, and I am looking forward to be able to help the current students with their projects.

On a somewhat different note, our big Honors Mentorship final project is coming up. We are required to come up with an essential question that is related to our choice of career and our mentorship and present it to a big group of people at the end of the year (doesn't it sound scary?). What I would really like to discuss, is project based learning. Distinguish and evaluate the pros and cons of project based learning and comparing and contrasting project-based learning techniques with other strategies would be my "essential question/statement". It is something that I am really passionate about and fully believe in this idea. I would be able to go in depth with this topic. Is it wrong that I am beginning to become excited for this project?


~Sarah

Mentorship So Far...

My mentorship in an 8th grade classroom has been interesting so far. Most of my time is just observing how Mr. Cantrell teaches. After every class, I take notes on some of the strategies and activities he does that I might use in my future classroom. Mr. Cantrell encourages me to not only take notes on the activities he does with his students, but to take notes on how I would do things differently. While the students are working on their assignments or projects, I always walk around the classroom to help students and ask them questions about whatever standard they are learning about. Mr. Cantrell is always encouraging me to interact with the students as much as possible. He has even mentioned to me recently, that I could have a special day within the week and take the last 10-15 minutes of class and talk to the students. I could talk about whatever they are learning about , I could answer any questions they have about high school (as they will be freshmen next year!), or I could ask the students questions on what kind of activities and teaching strategies they like. This time can end up being really beneficial for me! Also, as I have been mentioning a lot, I will be able to teach a lesson this year!! It's almost like I am teaching my own class!

Both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, the U.S. History class I am taking this year is really helping me with my mentorship. We are learning almost the same thing and we are almost in sync. Mr. Cantrell's class is basically one standard behind with what I am learning. For example, I am currently learning about the Civil War in my U.S. History class and the 8th graders are learning about the Antebellum Period (pre-Civil War period). I am sure that when they are on the Civil War unit, I will be learning about Reconstruction.  My U.S. History class goes in a little more in depth than Mr. Cantrell's class, so I am able to help the students with any questions they have or if they wish to know more, I would be able to teach them more.

It's kind of funny how one needs to be taught how to teach. Mr. Cantrell is teaching me all that he can to help me prepare for this career. This mentorship is giving me extra experience that I can use as I begin taking teacher classes in college and in my own classroom in the future. 

~Sarah

  

Having "Social Intelligence"

I am not sure if I am the only person that thinks this, but some of the younger generations (mine included) have/are becoming more and more disrespectful and arrogant. These are not the qualities that future employers want. I have recently read an interesting article by Growing Leaders called "The First Soft Set Skill to Develop in Students". This article is about how first impressions are extremely important and how having "social intelligence" is something employers look for. Going back to being disrespectful and arrogant, no employer wants these kinds of people in the workplace, and unfortunately, more people are becoming so. It's not just our generation too, we may encounter a coworker who does not really treat us like they should, or treat us like we are inferior or below them (which is a really mean thing to do). We could encounter these people on a day to day basis in the workplace. The key is know how to personally deal with these kinds of people. You could politely ask them to not treat you in that manner, or even ignore their behavior all together.

 The article defines "social intelligence" as "the capacity to effectively negotiate complex social relationships and environments"(Growing Leaders). The article states that having social intelligence includes:

• Empathy
• Attunement
• Social Cognition
• Concern
• Self-presentation
• Influence

I agree with all of these. You definitely need these attributes in order to create relationships in the workplace, which is very important. Also, because social intelligence is becoming a rare quality to have, many employers are looking for this, especially in a first impression. Employers tend to know whether or not they want to hire you within the first minute of meeting you, so having "social intelligence" or learning how to have these qualities will definitely make a positive impact.

~Sarah  

My Mentorship Profile

 My Profile: My name is Sarah. I am currently a junior at Flowery Branch High School.  This year, I was able to be a part of the Honors Mentorship Program. For as long as I can remember, teaching has always been a career that has interested me. Each year, seeing what all of my teachers do, has inspired me to pursue teaching as a career. Now that I am in this program, I am able to experience what it is really like to be a teacher. I love it!

My Mentorship: This year in Honors Mentorship, I am working in an Eighth Grade Georgia Studies classroom at C.W. Davis Middle School. I am working with my amazing mentor, Mr. Cantrell, who is always encouraging me to be as interactive as possible. He is teaching me about the everyday tasks of a teacher. Later this year, he is going to teach me how to use the technology that a teacher must use on a day-to-day basis. He will also teach me how to use some technology that can help my future students to better understand the material I will be teaching. In the classroom, I am observing how Mr. Cantrell is teaching and interacting with students (to see what helps students learn and how it is best to teach). I am walking around the classroom while his students are working on their assignments and helping them. Later this year, Mr. Cantrell will allow me to teach a lesson to his class! Lastly, I must mention my favorite task of the day, helping stacking up the chairs at the end of the day.

My Future: Next year, I hope to be a part of the Honors Mentorship Program again. However, I would be working in a different classroom to learn more techniques of teaching. This mentorship is really helping me because I will already have a good understanding on ways to easily connect with and teach different types of students. This is helping me prepare for my own classroom in the future and making me more passionate about teaching as my future career.

~Sarah

The Old Fashioned Ways

Growing up, my dad was a teacher. He was and still is working in education (I guess you can tell what sparked my interest in becoming a teacher). Because of this, I know the ins and outs of teachers's duties and I already had a perception of what a teacher does, before I began my mentorship. It is surprising to me to say that not much has changed from my dad's teaching experience from ten years ago. Sure, teachers have new gadgets and gizmos, but they are still teaching and doing the same things. Most jobs these days are changing rapidly and new tasks are being added to each job. For teaching, you are still making and giving tests, grading assignments, and teaching the same curriculum, and that is really comforting to me. They might do these tasks in a different way, but it is still the same as it has been this past decade. Even the very tedious and routine task of grading work or grading a project is mostly done with the always classic, red pen, like always. These tasks can take hours to do, but it is nice to see how important it is by taking the time to complete it. Sometimes, the old fashioned ways of completing tasks is always the best way.

~Sarah

A Partner In Your Education

Internships are truly a learning experience to the interns. You learn so many aspects of your desired job that you would have not expected. This is really beneficial because to those who do not have the opportunity to intern, may go into their job blind-sided and learn later that the job is not what they may have thought it to be. It's almost like you are back in a classroom, a very hands-on classroom. In classrooms, you may learn what you like and dislike. That's why when we were in high school, we usually knew what we wanted to do when we became older or at least knew what we did not want to do. For example, say a person named Billy disliked math (like I do). Billy would probably not want to be an engineer, an accountant, or a mathematician. Internships are the same way! We learn what we like and dislike about the job.

Internships also show people other careers they might be interested in. You may start an internship as a graphic designer only to see a computer designer doing his/her job, and you think, "Wow, that seems like something I would enjoy". In my case, I am beginning to be interested in becoming a school counselor, just in case I learned that teaching was not for me. 

Internships are not only beneficial to the interns, but for the mentors also. Interns can help the mentor complete routine tasks or less important tasks. Also, if the mentor has a huge workload, the intern can help that mentor complete the task quickly. In my internship, I try to help my mentor by going around the classroom and helping students. There is probably nothing more stressful for a teacher than to have twenty hands in the air with a question (probably the same question too). I can tell that my mentor is a little thankful to be able to take a little more time with each student while I take time with another. 

Internships are really beneficial to everyone involved. We all learn from each other and help each other. Internships are truly a "partner in your education".

The Art of Being a Teacher

The first month of my mentorship, a very exciting experience for me. When I walked in the classroom for the first time, I felt like I was at home.  I have learned so much about being a teacher simply just by observing. Teaching and interacting with coworkers is truly an art that needs to be mastered.

 For example, I have learned that a teacher must know what to do in every situation, whether it be a fire, a school lockdown, and even knowing what to do when a kid becomes sick in the classroom. They need to stay calm and know every protocol the school provides them as well as preparing for situations that are not included in the school’s protocols. Also, I have observed that newer teachers tend to teach more regular classes than the more experienced teachers. This is not always the case, however, many experienced teachers like teaching the regular level classes and tend to either teach only regular classes, or have a majority of regular classes and a few advanced classes. Finally, teachers ALWAYS communicate with their coworkers through email and face-to-face conversations. There is rarely texting among coworkers (who are not even supposed to have their phones out unless for educational purposes). Professional communication is very important in the world of teaching.

Once a person becomes a teacher, they are set to a different standard from the rest of the community. Teachers must be very professional in their attitudes, interactions, and especially in the way they dress. Every teacher must act like their students are watching them. There is a reason why we do not see any teachers posting pictures of them bikini-clad with alcohol in their hands. Again, teachers must present themselves professionally. Dressing in the workplace is both simple and tricky. Women must dress professionally and most importantly, MODESTLY. Sorry, but the truth is, teenage boys will be teenage boys. It is important to cover the cleavage, ladies, and to not wear skin-tight pants or mini-skirts. When in doubt, cover it up! For men, all that really need to be said is dress professionally. There is a reason why I am stressing the professional look: as a teacher, you want to taken very seriously and look like you know what you are talking about. Unfortunately, teachers can come across an unruly parent and you want to look like a professional. I cannot stress looking professional enough.

Luckily, I have been able to learn some of these elements of teaching during my mentorship. Also, thankfully, I am a fast learner, and I believe that is a quality that all teachers need. I am truly learning something everyday and I am amazed at the complexity of the everyday things that once seemed so simple. I am truly thankful to be doing this mentorship. 

-Sarah

Colleges

College. A huge decision in one's life. Is college for me? What college would benefit me the most? How do I even look for the right college? College is a huge stepping-stone that truly effects a person's life. Because I would like to become a teacher, college is a road I must travel. Therefore, this week's assignment for HMP is all about colleges. 

A List of 3 Colleges That I Plan to Apply for with the Degree Program I Would Enter:

• Berry College- Mount Berry, GA http://www.berry.edu/
• Secondary Education Dual Major- Prepares teacher certification for grade levels 6-12

• Mercer University- Macon, GA http://www.mercer.edu/
• Secondary Education

• Georgia College and State University- Milledgeville, GA http://www.gcsu.edu/
• Middle Grades

My Criteria for a Quality Program:

• Teacher Certification
•  Internship with a teacher
• Study Abroad Program (to learn more teaching styles that might not be common in the US, also to help me learn how to teach different cultures)
• Diverse set of areas (History, Social Studies, Science) in which I could be certified to teach
• Very interactive lessons
• Tutoring Program
• Honors Program
• Ability to Minor in Programs (Spanish, in my case) 

Universities/Colleges That Have This Criteria:

• All three of these colleges have the criteria I am looking for. More schools that have this criteria that I would like to mention: Georgia Southwestern State University- Americus, GA, College of Charleston- Charleston, SC,  Elon University- Elon, NC, and Greensboro College- Greensboro, NC.

Additional Entrance Requirements for My Field of Study:

• Georgia College and State University: Cohort Application Form, Three professional letters of recommendation, minimal GPA of 2.5, Passing scores or exemption on the GACE Basic Assessment, completion of Core areas before program begins in the fall, passing Regents’ Reading and Writing requirements or proof of exemption, clear background check, verified structured experience with children the level you wish to teach, recommended, interview by faculty admissions committee
• Mercer University: Submit an application to Teacher Education, 2.5 Cumulative GPA on all previous coursework, passing scores on GACE I , complete INT 101 and WRT 120 with no grade below a “C”, complete required math core class with a “C” or better, complete any education classes taken with a grade of “C” or better, declare a major 

My Criteria for a "Quality" Ranking and Educational Program (Size, Location, Sports, Diversity, Funding):

• Size: Small-Medium School
• Location: Preferably in Georgia. Far away from home, but can easily come home on the weekends if I wanted to
• Sports: Various activities available to all of the students 
• Diversity: Coed school. 
• Funding: Plenty of scholarships available for me. Work-Study program.

Scholarships I Am Eligible For:

• Bill Speed Scholarship: Church scholarship I could apply for because of the years I have alter served at my church
• Tommie Aaron/Charlie Aaron Foundation Scholarship: For seniors in Hall County and Gainesville City schools.
• Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards Program
• HFS General Scholarship Program

Internships Are Interviews

For this week's assignment, I had to read a short blog post from a blog called Growing Leaders, by Tim Elmore. This article describes how a friend of Elmore had a bad experience with the interns he had in that summer. Elmore expresses how he is sad that millions of college students come to the work force unprepared. His friend's interns were proof of that fact. He suggested to his friend that he introduce future interns as it being "... a twelve week interview [and how] it's a simulation of the job [they'll] have one day"(Elmore).
He stated the four top qualities that business look for interns. These are:

1. Teachability: They want students who are hungary to learn from them
2. Initiative: They want students that look for what needs to be done
3. Responsibility: They want students who "own" the tasks they are given
4. Energy: They want high-energy workers who have a passion for their mission

Those four qualities will lead into a successful internship for both the student and the mentor/company.

http://growingleaders.com/.

I believe Elmore has very good points. His advise will definitely help me get the most out of my internship at the middle school. I really need to participate in the classroom as much as I can so that I will get real experience as a teacher. I need to show that I want to learn so that my mentor will be encouraged to pass on his knowledge and experiences to me. I must show that I truly want to become a teacher. My future interviewer might look back on how I participated in this program and decide to contact my mentor. I can only hope that I showed my desire and initiative to be a teacher.

This article's advise is very beneficial to any interns that might come across it before their internships. An internship is truly like an interview; it can show back up whenever a person is interviewing for a job, what better person to ask how you work in the workplace than your mentor. These four points would also be beneficial in that if the intern follows these points, they would the most out of their internship.

Meeting Your Mentor/ First Day of the Mentorship

For my first ever assignment on the Honors Mentorship Program, I had to listen to a podcast and read a document created by my teacher about things to do when you meet your mentor for the first time or when you have an interview. Here are some of the ideas both the podcast and the document expressed:

• ·      ALWAYS stay positive. Most companies and mentors want a positive atmosphere in the workplace
• ·      Dress appropriately and always dress professional on your interview and on the first day. Moderately wear jewelry and makeup. You never know who you are going to meet
• ·      Show confidence: Do not be afraid to initiate a firm handshake, make eye contact with your mentor and/or coworkers, smile, and always have good posture
• ·      Arrive early. You want to build up a reputation of always being punctual and reliable
• ·       Be quick to learn names.
• ·      Research the company you wish to join and what your position is. This shows that you are truly interested in joining the company.
• ·      Start conversations with your mentor. Never be afraid to be honest about your accomplishments. Having conversations is beneficial because you both will get to know each other and even become close acquaintances.
• ·      Finally, work hard at every task you do

I am personally very excited about my mentorship! This will definitely help me learn how to become the engaging, helpful, and wonderful teacher I wish to become! I believe I will learn how to teach Social Studies in a way that students will enjoy. I hope to learn how to engage and interact with students and faculty.  This will definitely benefit me in that I will learn what exactly teachers have to do on a daily basis. I have had my mentor as a teacher before, and I know he will give me advice and teach me all I need to know about becoming a teacher. He will always encourage me to interact with the class and participate in as much as I can. This year is going to be great!