Blog 24 : Last Presentation Reflection

1. Positive Statement 
• What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or senior project? Why?
• I'm most proud of my whole presentation. I had a mini panic attack in the morning but it went away with all the help I got. I believe I did very good because when I was presenting I could see that the students were paying attention, meaning that they were into my topic. I also noticed that the students had a lot of fun during my activities.   
2. Questions to Consider
• What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.  AE P AP CR NC
• I would give myself an P, because I did everything that was asked on the contract. I guess I went above and beyond with timing because I went over my 30 minute talking time and my presentation ran through almost the whole block.
• What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment. AE P AP CR NC
• For my overall senior project I would give myself an AE, because I learned a lot through out the school year. I learned about things that I never knew existed or things that are very important in a classroom. I had a lot of fun learning at my mentorship and I know that I'm planning on doing something with special needs kids in my future. 
3.  What worked for you in your senior project?
• A lot worked very well with my senior project. There was always a lot of things to research and my mentor and mentorship were very helpful and kind to me. The interviews that I took from the staff helped me a lot with my three answers and the students were the ones that helped me the most during my project. 
4. (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?
• If I had a time machine, I would like to find a closer mentorship. It was a struggle to go down to my mentorship everyday. I wished I could've found a closer school so it would be a lot easier for me to go to. I know there are some schools in the area but since I was already well known at my brother's school, I just decided to go there because it was the easiest route. 
5. Finding Value 
• How has the senior project been helpful to you in the future endeavors? Be specific and use examples. 
• Like I mentioned above, after going through the whole process of senior project I fell in love with the idea of helping those in need. It felt great to be able to help someone learn something. I felt like a role model when I would help the students do a worksheet and so with this is mind, I have decided to continue with working with special needs in my future. I plan on either becoming a nurse that specially works with special needs children, or perhaps become a social worker, or even just become a special education teacher. I hope my project also helped other realize that theres others out there would need or help. Although they are different it, that doesn't mean that they aren't capable of doing things that we can do. 

Blog 23 : Exit Interview Prep

Graduation Day is almost here(:

Content:

1. What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?
• EQ : What techniques can an elementary special education teacher use to ensure that each child is learning?
• Three Answers : 
• The best technique an elementary special education teacher can use to ensure that each child is learning is making sure that the he / she knows each disability that each student has. 
• The best technique that an elementary special education teacher can use to ensure that each child is learning is to have one teacher design and teach the, but then to also have more teachers that tour the classroom, providing support by answering questions, re-explaining key concepts, and assisting with behavior management.
• The best technique to ensure that each child is learning is to have good communication / contact with the student's parent.
• Best Answer : The best technique that an elementary special education teacher can use to ensure that each child is learning is to have one teacher design and teach the, but then to also have more teachers that tour the classroom, providing support by answering questions, re-explaining key concepts, and assisting with behavior management.
• This is my best answer because I was able to notice this when at my mentorship. I noticed how important it was to have so many adults in one classroom. Each student has a different disability and so it can be hard for one teacher to teach a lot of students that all learn differently. So with more people in a classroom each student is getting the same and correct amount of attention that he or she needs.
2. What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
• The process that took me to arrive to this answer took a while. I began to notice my answers when I would go to my mentorship. I began to notice that, the above, was my best answer because the teachers were always there to help and without them the students would be all over the place and wouldn't be learning. But since I was able to be one of those teachers that helps the students, I grew to notice that without me there the student wouldn't have learned anything, but since I was he did get to learn and understand the lesson.  
3. What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?
• At first I had a problem going to my mentorship. Since my mentorship is a school the students would leave at three o'clock. By the time my ride came and picked me up from school, and drove me all the way down to San Bernardino, the students would be ready to go home and so I wasn't able to be with them for very long. I resolved this problem by finally getting my license and car. Now I'm able to leave right after school and I get to spend time with the students. 
4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
• One : Mentorship
• When I'm at my mentorship I get to do more hands- on things instead of reading it off of somewhere. Being with the students I can see how each student reacts to certain things and if I had a question or concern there was always another adult that I can ask and I would get the answer right away. I'm able to learn more from the students. 
• Two : Top 10 Resources for Special Education Teachers
• This website helped me a lot when it came to doing research. On this website I was able to find answers to any questions that I had. But since at first I didn't trust the cite I would ask the teacher the following day and it would always be very similar to the one I found on this website.
• However, my interviews with my mentor also helped me a lot with my answers. Since she has been working in special education for a really long time, I was able to trust and believe in her. Her responses to my questions were really reliable and she also gave me a lot of stories that she had with some students to give me an idea of whatever she was describing / teaching me. 

Note to Self : Be prepared with evidence and specific examples to support any response. It is also significant to cite sources as you explain. Please be advised.  The senior team will not conduct any exit interview in which the student has not turned in a passing notebook count and completed this blog.  In addition, you are expected to dress as you would for a job interview.