I. Practicum 1

This practicum consisted of 30 hours as a part of the EDUC 261 course. This was the first step into the classroom as an Elementary Education major. This exciting step placed me in a private school in Farmville where I was able to be a part of a 6th grade class for a semester. Unfortunately, this practicum was solely an observation of the students, teacher, and school systems and I was not able to directly interact with students on many levels. However, I was able to participate in activities, individual work, and work with the teacher on certain things. In many ways, I appreciated being able to focus on the class as an observer. Initially, this was upsetting because I wanted so badly to be a part of the class and help students when I could. However, by the end, it was nice to reflect on the teacher and the students because I was able to see perspectives and practices from a different angle than I would have if I was immersed in the scene. This practicum made me excited to begin the next phase of my program.

II. Head RA

In the Spring of 2019, I applied to be a Resident Assistant. Initially, I was not hired for the job, but I was able to participate as a Trainee with RCL in their fall training for the hired RA’s. This training pushed me outside of my comfort zone, gave me a work ethic, and taught me necessary skills for both the job and life. By the end of October, I was hired by RCL to be a Resident Assistant in Lancer Park. I was so excited and grateful for the opportunity to put my training into practice and pursue this job. After serving in this role, I was asked to be Head RA of Lancer Park for the 2020-2021 school year. This job gave me a skill level that is unmatched to many jobs and also a level of professionalism that continually grows. This position required me to manage a community of 500+ residents and manage a staff of 15 Resident Assistants. I worked collaboratively with a Co-HRA, where I learned the importance of communication and collaboration. We both worked very hard to treat our staff with respect and give them the education and information that the job requires. It is an honor to serve my Longwood community in this role and grow as a young professional too.

III. Practicum 2

This practicum experience consisted of 60 hours in the classroom for the EDUC 361 course. This was one of my best moments at Longwood and assured me that teaching is for me. This practicum was done at Winterpock Elementary School in Chesterfield, VA. I was placed in a 4th grade collaborative class, which honestly gave me a lot of anxiety going in. My teacher, a Longwood graduate, was absolutely amazing! She trusted me right away and was eager to let me get involved, build relationships, and learn best practice. For my 60 hours, I was in the classroom for about 4 hours, two days a week. This allowed me to lead 2, sometimes 3, small group reading instruction sets. I started with the most advanced group, where we started and ended a novel together. I also worked with short stories with an on-level group. This time with these students allowed me to put to use the skills I was learning in my EDUC 310: Foundations of Literacy course. If I wasn’t able to practice it myself, I was always able to ask my CT to model for me, explain it to me, or even let me observe her practicing the task. This experience certainly helped me grow as an educator in many ways, but learning to work collaboratively with my CT, leading small groups, and working with students with IEP’s made the experience go above and beyond my expectations and needs.

IV. Honors Office Assistant

This student employment position has developed my skills on many levels and has given me more opportunity than most student employees see. In this role, I serve as a resource for all of the Cormier Honors College Faculty and Staff. Here, I often make copies, run errands, and collect and send mail. I was also lead to the Hult Prize Campus Director program here, where I am tasked with organizing 10 teams and challenging them to create a business proposal that solves the Hult Challenge for that year. This program was conducted in the Fall of 2020 and will run again in the Fall of 2021. I also provide weekly communication and announcements for all honors students and monthly birthday wishes for honors students. This communication is my favorite part of the job because it connects honors students to other areas on campus and keeps them updated on the latest happenings. I love my position in the CHC and am grateful for every opportunity they have given me.