Introduction

I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy during the summer of 2013. Monday thru Thursday we spent time at Marymount International School. In addition to our time in Rome, we traveled to Venice and Siena. Throughout my time in Italy I learned so much about the culture, the people and even about myself. I acquired a great deal of ideas and experience which will help me be successful in my future classroom. 

Education Biography

The Inclusive Early Childhood program at James Madison University prepares me for licensure in early childhood education (birth-five) and pre-kindergarten to third grade. I have majored in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies and minored in Inclusive Early Childhood Education. Throughout my undergraduate career I have had the opportunity to explore a wide variety of subject matters but I chose to focus on humanities and social sciences. I do believe that being exposed to such a range of information has provided me with many tools that are necessary to be a well rounded teacher.

I have worked in a preschool head start program within Harrisonburg City Schools, a preschool setting, and a classroom for children who have parents that are still attending High School. All of these practicum experiences have been so different and I have learned different lessons from each one. Every time I have the opportunity to work in a new classroom setting there is so much to learn whether it be from the teacher, the students, or simply, the environment. I have also spent the past five summers working in special education classrooms as a teacher's assistant in Loudoun County Public Schools where I hope to return once I graduate.  Having worked for LCPS over the past five summers I have gained invaluable experience working with children with a range of disabilities and delays. It was during those summers that I was able to take on more of a leadership role in the classroom. I have completed lesson plans, worked on classroom management and setup, and of course, worked with children in both one on one and group settings. I have first-hand experience of how different each learner truly is and I truly believe the job of the educator is to find what works for each one of their learners which will help to help unlock their true potential.

Throughout all of these experiences and in my courses at JMU I have learned how important the classroom environment is for the success of every single student and for the success of the teacher as well. A positive classroom environment in early education will set the tone for how children feel about learning for the rest of their lives. That is why early childhood education is so important. Children learn to love learning when they have positive experiences in the classroom and I hope to make that type of impact on my students someday. 

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that every child has the tools to be successful in the classroom as well as out in the world. An educator is the one who has the keys to unlock the potential of each and every student that they meet. The field of education is always changing, and teachers need to have the ability to progress along with it. Education is not what it used to be. Students do not necessarily learn best by listening to their teacher lecture on a certain subject. For most students, they retain the most information when they are immersed in that subject. They are not just learning because they have to; they are learning because they want to. This is not an easy goal to tackle but with hard work, dedication and a lot creativity it can be accomplished. 

And just as the educational field is growing and changing so are the learners within it. Educators need to learn that every single child in their classroom has different strengths, challenges, joys, concerns, the list can literally go on forever. Finding out what makes each student tick and somehow incorporating those aspects into everyday activities will make a huge difference. Along those lines, it is so important that a wide variety of "testing" needs to be completed. This could be in the form of a standardized test, informal or formal observation, project, worksheet, classroom activity and again, the list is endless. This will give you, as the educator, a better idea of how well your students have mastered the material that you have taught them. 

Overall, today's classrooms are diverse and it is up to today's educators to rise to the challenge. 

Personal and Professional Goals and Inquiry Project

1. Grow as both an educator and a learner.  

The name "Student Teacher" is very appropriate for the role we will be taking during our time at Marymount. While we will be watching and learning from our participating teacher(s) we are in the progress of preparing to one day run a successful classroom of our own; therefore, we need to learn to take on more of a leadership role in the classroom.

2. Form lasting bonds with peers, students, and participating teachers.

Teaching is not a solo act; it is a cooperative one so learning to form bonds between fellow future teachers as well as the Marymount teachers is a great way to practice that very important skill. Also, the bond between teacher and student is one that needs to be nurtured and respected because that is when magic within the classroom can truly take place. 

Inquiry Project 

For the subject of my inquiry project I decided to study English Language Learners. In the United States today, the percentage of students who are studying English has their second and sometimes third language is increasing every single day. Educators need to be able to communicate and understand their culture and environment at home in order to help them find success in the classroom. Data was collected through teacher interviews, informal observation, photographs and student work. The study will primarily focus on the strategies used by teachers to help students become assimilated into English speaking culture and find success in the classroom and beyond. 

Siena

Our time in Siena was amazing!

We started off with a cooking class! I had been waiting for this since we got to Italy. It was taught by an adorable Italian woman who of course did not speak any English (luckily we had a translator). We made crostini with chicken livers which I was definitely nervous about but they were actually pretty good, brusketta, which I loved and am very surprised that I did because I am not a fan of tomatoes but it was delicious, then we rolled our own pici noodles with a garlic sause. Last but definitely not least, there was tiramisu!  There was a lot of work that went into the meal but the end result was so worth it. It reminded me of the dedication that it takes to help students find success in the classroom. It takes time and dedication and sometimes a little bit of trial and error but the end result makes the work late nights and lack of sleep worth it.

The next morning we went on a bus tour of Tuscany. It was amazing to see so much of this beautiful area but I did wish that the weather had been a tiny bit more cooperative. It was rainy and chilly for a lot of the day and that even caused us to end our last tour of the day early. Our first stop was Monteriggioni, a medieval Tuscan fortress which was a military base. We learned all about the rivalry between Florence and Siena. Within this fortress was a little town. It was so cool. Unfortunately, a TV special was being filmed during our time in Monteriggioni but it was still very interesting. Next we headed to Sa Gimignano, they were known for their various towers and we got to climb the tallest one. It was so beautiful from the top and even though I am terrified of heights I was very brave this weekend and never backed down! During our break we had the opportunity to try the Worlds Best gelato (according to our tour guide). I have discovered that I am not a fan of coffee but coffee flavored gelato is very tasty especially when it is accompanied by chocolate.

Our next stop was a Tuscan vineyard for an extended wine tasting AND lunch. The food was delicious and I had a really great time. We had soup, lasagna, olive oil, cheese, bread, salome and of course meat and potatoes. I was so stuffed but oh so happy. The truffle olive oil was delicious that I had on the lasagna and I decided it was a perfect gift for my wonderful grandpa! After that we were on our way to Volterra where they are known for alabaster and their scenery in the second Twilight movie. It was a great end to a chilly but eventful day.

Our final day in Siena began in the Basilica of San Domenic. We entered a church during a service. There was the head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena. Every time we see bodies or parts of bodies in these churches I am never quite sure how I feel about them. After the church we took a stroll through Siena. Our guide told us about all 17 of the neighborhoods that Siena is divided into. They each have their own flag, crest, colors and during the time of the horse race, the rivalry becomes very intense. I then found out that I am not a fan of cappuccino. Our whole group got powdered biscuits and cappuccinos at a pastry shop. After entering another museum and seeing some paintings we entered a tower with 509 steps, we ventured all the way to the top and it was so beautiful. I am so glad that I did not let my fear of heights get in the way of this amazing view! The way up was tiring but the way down was terrifying. I was not a fan of being able to see out into the square. After our break we met back up with the group and walked over to the Duomo di Siena. It was huge! Inside the Duomo was breathtaking and I loved the striped walls and columns inside.

There were many lessons that I learned during my time in Siena. It was interesting to hear about the great importance that the people of Siena put on community. Depending on where they live in Siena, they are part of a particular neighborhood. They are loyal to the members of their community just like the community that I hope to create in each one of my classes in the future. I also learned some things about myself during our weekend in Siena. One of my biggest fears is heights and during this trip I stood up to my fear and after doing that I got the opportunity to experience something amazing. I was able to see some great Tuscan scenery. There are so many things in life which may seem scary at first but if you pass on them just because they are scary you may miss out on something great. These lessons will hopefully make me a more worldly and knowledgeable teacher in the future.

Cooking School

Rolling pici noodles

crostini with chicken liver and brusketta

Pici noodles with a garlic sause

tiramisu

Streets of Siena

View from Tower

View From Tower

Salome, Cheese, Salad, and Bread

Soup

Lasagna with truffle olive oil

Chicken and Potatoes

Beautiful Siena

Duomo

Venice

Venice truly was all that I dreamed it would be, and more. It truly is amazing that an entire city is on water. The culture there is so different than anything I have ever experienced. There were no cars and there were sidewalks but no roads. That concept is so crazy to me. Because there are no cars I am sure that the air is much cleaner.

While there are so many cool things about the Venetian culture, having boats as the only mode of transportation definitely increases travel time, unless you have a boat of your own. For example, when we visited the islands of Murano and Burano it took us about an hour to get there from the city of Venice. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the sights along the way and it sure does make the long trips pass more quickly but it does take a while to get from island to island. Living in Venice or one of its surrounding islands would be like living in another world but having experienced this vastly different culture has opened my eyes to the importance of understanding the ways of life of those around you. As a future teacher, this includes my future students and their family culture. Understanding what circumstances your students are coming to you with is something that all educators need to keep in mind.

Our time in Venice began with a tour of the Doge's Palace and we learned a lot about the history of Venice which was so interesting. We then went to the Basilica of St. Mark which was really great. The church was gorgeous and the mosaics were breathtaking. The entire ceiling was made of tiny pieces of gold and took 400 years to finish. St. Mark's bones are found in the church which is so interesting. He did not actually die there but they brought his bones back and buried them in the palace.

Next, we visited the Ca' Rezzonico which was the private home of a wealthy family. We learned that was common in Venice during that time. People showed their wealth through their fancy and extravagant homes. Our next adventure was amazing! We went on a water taxi tour of the Grand Canal and other channels within Venice. It was amazing! I really did fall in love with Venice!

Saturday we visited the islands of Murano and Burano. We started off with the latter. It is known for its colorful houses and of course their lacework. We learned that mostly fisherman live on this island and they would use the paint from their boats to paint their homes and that was the birth of the colorful houses that are there today. I am totally in love and would love to live there! It has a small town feel much like many towns in North Carolina. 

After 30 minutes on Burano we hopped on another water taxi for Murano which is known for their glasswork. We had the opportunity to visit a glass museum. It is crazy what these glass blowers can do. We even got to see some work that can never be repeated because the artist never shared their secrets so no one knows how to continue the work. Then for lunch I got lunch with a small group at a restaurant outside. I had four cheese ravioli and I loved it the only sad part that I wished there was more.

After lunch we headed to the glass factory. The factory is made up of 16 craftsman and we learned that glass blowing is a dying art and many young boys are not willing to learn the art. This means that eventually it will be all produced by machines. We got watch one glassblower make a horse and it amazing what it takes to finish this project. We also learned that different elements make the glass different colors. For example, red is made of the element, gold, so red glass is obviously the most expensive.

Next was our gondola ride! I had a blast. Our gondolier was named Paulo and he was very entertaining, he sang us some Earth, Wind and Fire, Popeye, hummed and sang some traditional Venetian melodies. We had so much fun! I am so glad that I did this, it was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.

View from Ferry

Rialto Bridge 

Lobster Spaghetti 

Orchestra Competition 

Ferry

Burano

Glasswork

Four Cheese Ravioli

Glasswork

Glass Horse 

Paulo 

Water Taxi Tour

Rome

Not many people can say that they were able to call Rome their home for four weeks. There is so much history in this city and over the course of the four weeks that I was there I was able to truly immerse myself in the Italian culture.

The fact that I can say, I walked by St. Peter's Square every single day is truly remarkable. Seeing the Vatican every single day was breathtaking especially after we took a tour during our first weekend. Seeing all of the beautiful paintings and frescos and learning all about the long history that is found in every corner of Rome was amazing. And during our final week, we had the opportunity to go to one of the viewings that happens every Wednesday in St. Peter's Square. The Pope comes out and rides through the square in his popemobile and because he is such a new and beloved Pope, it was extremely crowded. My favorite part was seeing people pass their children to the Pope and he would kiss them on the head. There has never been a Pope who has been so close to the people. Shortly after walking past the Vatican we had to endure one of my least favorite parts of Rome which was the public transportation.  It was not the most reliable way to travel, in fact, some days it would take 20 minutes to get to Marymount and other days it may have taken 50. One of the other aspects of Italian culture which I will not miss will be the smoking.

One of the most important parts of Italian culture is their food and that I will definitely miss once I return to the states. You be surprised how many times you can eat pizza, pasta and salads and still not be sick of them. The food was as amazing as I had always dreamed it would be. I attempted to try as many different types of pasta and pizza as possible and our group dinner and lunches definitely helped to make me a more adventurous eater. It seems like they will put practically anything on a pizza! Unfortunately, at some restaurants free water was not an option and it was not until two and half weeks into the trip did we learn you have to ask to tap water. We had been buying bottled water because that is what they brought when you asked for water, but live and learn I guess.  

Considering I spent four days a week with children who mostly spoke Italian I did not pick up on as much of the language as I thought I would have but being in a more tourist-y area the communication was not much of an issue. But when we were at the market, which was a ten-ish minute walk from our apartment, there was no English spoken at all by people working there but we had many successful trips despite that fact. At the market there were a few things that were different from home. They wear gloves when touching any fruit or vegetable and we heard that if you do not wear the gloves the workers can get very upset with you but luckily, we always wore gloves.

During our time in Rome we saw the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, the Castel Sant'Angelo, the Piazza de Popolo as well as a few basillicas along the way. Considering we were only there a month we had the opportunity to see so much of this historic city. During our tours we learned so much. In particular, I thought that the Colosseum was so fantastic. We learned that they used to flood the Colosseum for Naval battles, we walked through the entrance where some of the gladiators took their final steps, it literally took my breath away. In addition to these amazing sites we also got the chance to find great gelato, our favorite was Old Bridge and just a fifteen minute walk from the residence.

I learned so much during my time in Rome and am so happy to have had the opportunity to spend so much time in such an amazing city. The environment of living in a city gave me a new perspective. 

                                                                     Trevi Fountain

St. Peter's Square

Colosseum

Ceiling in the Vatican

Vatican 

Floor of Colosseum

Colossum Seating

Spanish Steps

Old Bridge Gelato

Fettuccine with Cream Sause

Pope Francis

Pantheon

Delicious Lasagna

Surfing at the Beach

Marymount International School June 3-6, 2013

Our final week at Marymount went by so quickly especially because we went to the viewing of the Pope on Wednesday so I only had three days with the kids in EC 1. The weather finally warmed up during our final week; according to my teachers, it was unseasonably cold during our time in Italy. Despite the rocky start and the language barrier I formed a great bond with all of my teachers and with the children in both classes. I cannot believe that my time with them is almost finished.

Because the weather was warmed we did not spend as much time outside and spent some time in the library watching educational shows and listening to educational music. The children really respond to music and that is something that I will definitely carry with me into my JMU practicum/student teaching placements and even into my own classroom in the future. They enjoy themselves; they jump, sing, laugh etc. but at the same time they are learning. When children associate learning as an enjoyable experience early on, they are much more likely to enjoy school later in their educational career. A child's opinion of school and learning is set very early on that is why early childhood education is so important and definitely does not get enough credit for the tremendous impact that it makes.

I learned so much from time at Marymount and got so many ideas for projects to complete with my future students. In EC 1 at Marymount they always have a dramatic play area that they decorate and incorporate into their educational unit of learning during that time. For example, their last dramatic area of the year was tied into their unit on transportation. During their morning meeting, they took a vote on what type of transportation they would like their play area to be. They had a choice between car, train, rocket and bus. The children chose rocket and one little boy was especially excited. The teachers informed me that he is especially interested in space and once their rocket was assembled during my final day at Marymount it was apparent how much he loved space. The teachers even constructed space helments to make their dramatic play realistic. It was so cool to see the children working together to construct dramatic play situations dealing with outer space.

On my final day, we spent most of the day outside because it was warm. I even played tag with the children in EC 1 and even some in EC 2. Hearing them yell, "Miss Sam, Miss Sam, come play with me" was so great to hear. My early fears of never forming a connection were put to rest. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to spend time at Marymount. 

Marymount International School May 27-30, 2013

I came to school on Monday with some ideas for my lesson on transportation. My cooperating teacher and I decided to start by reading a book, the Big Red Bus and then doing two different activites with them. The first activity consisted of the children decorating a large pre-cut cardstock letter (the first letter of their first name) and then using a toy car or airplane to trace the letter. In the second activity the children were making a "Things that Go" collage. They had to cut out pictures of different types of transportation and glue them on their frame. After that they could decorate the frame using pieces of paper, crayons and jewels. Then if they were not completing one of those activities they had the opportunity to play with the toys cars and a rocket toy.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I had the opportunity to work more with the children. I read them stories and led art activities. This definitely helped during my lesson. The children needed to see me as more of a teacher and not just a helper or volunteer before I could lead a lesson on my own.

Then Thursday came, I was so nervous but I prepared well and I knew that the childen loved to cut and glue and decorate so I had a good feeling that they would enjoy the activities that I had planned. Even though Dr. Thomas was a tad bit late the children were still very attentive to the story which was great. Within the book there was the beginning stages of addition and lots of repetition. The children became engaged after learning the pattern of the story. It was wonderful to see them shouting out, "Stop" when that portion of the story would repeat. Then I showed them some realistic pictures of transportation and attempted to first say the word in Italian and then in English to help them to learn some new English vocabulary. My Italian was not the best but I tried and hopefully my teachers and the students appreciated my effforts.

Just as I had anticipated the children were so excited about the decorating, they flocked to the tables, especially the letter one because they got to use glitter and these kids really love glitter. It was a bit chaotic in the very beginning because the children were grabbing letters left and right and it was not necessarily the letter for their name but I tried to make sure that if they grabbed the wrong letter that I switched it out for the correct one as soon as possible. There were times when I was not quite fast enough and they made a mark on it but in the future I will probably have the letters to the side and I will ask them one by one if they can find the letter for their name. There was glitter everywhere! On the tables, on the floor, on the children and on me but I was excited that they were so excited. They were able to identify their letter and just as I had instructed them to they traced the letter with the car or airplane when they were finished. It was a bit crazy with children trying to put glitter on their letters without glue or just played with the glitter or at one point spilling and open container of paint but overall I think that they got something out of the activity and that is what is most important.

As for the other acitivity I did not get a chance to observe them much but when I did get a half second to glance once they seemed like they were enjoyed cutting and gluing and decorating their collages. I am so glad that there were other teachers in the room to help supervise the other table and the children playing on the carpet because it was so much work to make sure that the children were staying on task and completing the acitivity as instructed. I know that these activities helped the children to work on their fine motor skills with the cutting and gluing but they also worked on their social skills by communicating with the other teachers and their peers during the activity.

Even though it only lasted about 35 or 40 minutes, it was exhausting. I am so glad that the stress of the lesson is over and I can just enjoy the rest of my time with the kids. I am getting to know many of them on a more personal level and they even remember my name which for three year olds is quite a feat for someone you see two times a week (between he two classes).

Marymount International School May 20-23, 2013

Getting back into the swing of things at Marymount was not too difficult. The children started off the day on Wednesday the same way that they do every day, they were able to choose from an art activity, playing with cars, coloring, play-doh or water play. Then we did morning meeting and I am amazed at how well the children do with days of the week and their morning songs. Even though they do not speak much English (if any at all)  they all sing along and understand everything that the teacher says to them. It really is amazing that these three year olds are fluent in Italian and can understand English. Even though it has created some issues for me with communication. I am very impressed at what these kids are able to absorb. For example, one of the classrooms sings a song every morning which incorporates six or seven different languages into one song. Then the children go around and say "Good Morning" to the child next to them in whatever language they choose. That is a great way to incorporate  diversity in the classroom and make you, as the educator, be more globally competent.

During music class I observed how important structure is for three year olds. There was a substitute music teacher and she was very nice but was a little frazzled and the children definitely picked up on it. They are hard to handle sometimes but having to keep looking at her notes on top of not knowing the songs and handing out the instruments too early, it was a bit chaotic to say the least. Things worked out though. Ms. Claire stepped in and after that point the children were much more attentive to her.

Lunch on Wednesday and Thursday was especially crazy. The kids were very hyper and it was quite a tiring time. I have mastered the lunch chart and even had a chance to sit and talk to some of the kids while they were eating lunch. Even though it is often overlooked, mealtime is a great time to interact with students. It is a low stress time for the children and you can simply enjoy the company of one another.

As always the children spent a portion of the day outside. I do not think that I have ever been in a classroom that spends so much time outside but having learned so much about the power of play in my last few courses at JMU I think that it is great. The kids are talking to each other, exploring nature, jumping, running, climbing, pouring, digging, the list is literally endless. They work on fine motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, and gross motor skills. Ms. Claire was even telling me that a month earlier they had found a frog outside and that sparked an entire unit on life cycles. Sometimes the best ideas come to you in unexpected ways. Children are much more receptive to learning when it is relevant to their lives and finding a frog in the garden is a perfect example of that.

I am definitely in a new environment and I am having to adapt how I interact and communicate because they do not speak English. I am having to work much harder but I feel that I am gaining their trust and that is a great feeling! Communication is so vital to the running of a classroom and working with these English Language Learners has given me some inspiration on the topic for my Inquiry Project.

Marymount International School May 13-16, 2013

Tuesday we started our official first day at Marymount International School. I met both of my teachers and found out that I will be spending half of my time in the one EC (Early Childhood) classroom and half in the other. It will be great to experience two different classrooms and four different teachings styles being that there are two teachers in each classroom. I was definitely overwhelmed when I first arrived because I found out that most of the children do not speak English so the language barrier will be a difficult obstacle. Luckily, at this point in the year they do understand most of what is said to them in English.



When the children arrive they are able to color, play with play doh, play a few of the games that are laid out for them or even read a book. They have many choices and as I have learned the more choices the better! They were a little apprehensive toward me at first but towards the middle of the second day (today) they had begun to warm up. I understand their apprehension because the language barrier does make forming a bond much harder but I am definitely going to brush up on some Italian even if it is just some basic phrases to help get me through the day. I was a little disappointed because many of the other girls had already loved their placement and were getting along great with their student after the first day but I know that my situation is different and I am just going to have to work a little harder and I'm okay with that. By the end of today, I was interacting and playing with the kids while they played a fishing game, while they played on the playground, during story time, and during their free play (play doh, coloring, games). I am feeling much better but I know that I have a long way to go and much more Italian to learn.

We spent a lot of the day outside which was so nice. I got to experience how the children interact with each other. I noticed that they are much more independent than children back home. They also have more free reign than back in the states. Children jump and climb on their jungle gym type play areas and if I was at home I would never let these children put themselves in such dangerous conditions but there are positive and negatives to both. Here they are less likely to get upset and cry if they fall (for the most part). They are able to explore their surroundings and that definitely makes a huge difference in their cognitive, social and of course, physical abilities down the road.



My time at Marymount had a rocky start but I am excited to see what happens and I know that I am going to learn so much and I am ready for the challenge!

For Thursday,  the schedule was similar as the first two days. Consistency for young kids is so important. A set classroom routine helps to increase their ability to be independent in the classroom. The children had "free" time in the morning but they also needed to complete a project before they had music. They are currently in their fish themed unit and they were instructed to decorate a tuna fish with glue, glitter, paper shapes of various colors and jewels. They really enjoyed the project but some struggled with the whole glue before glitter/paper/jewels first concept. Every child came up with a different design and as I have learned, allowing children to express themselves helps them to enhance their critical thinking and logic skills. Allowing children to be creative in the classroom is a great start to their establishing a sense of self. The earlier they learn who they are, what they like and don't like, what makes them unique the better. I was able to lead the activity and got a great amount of on on one time with with the kids. They are definitely starting to open up to me and that is a great feeling!

Then they had music which was very interactive. The music teacher had a board with three different bugs and then a section with all three together and he first taught the kids the English words for each insect and then in small groups the children were able to independently pick which instrument they would like to play. He provided instruments that sounded similar to the noise which each bug makes. They learned sharing, turn taking,  how to follow multi-step directions and vocabulary.

Next we had recess where the children had to play inside where physical education takes place because it was raining. It was very chaotic. Children were everywhere! They were jumping, running, laughing, falling, yelling etc. The teacher put out mats, balls, a balance beam and many other objects to keep them occupied and let them get some energy out. It was amazing to see how the children were able to connect different activities and objects together. They are a very creative bunch of three year olds.

After free time they had lunch, which was crazy. I got a workout attending to both three year old classrooms. I had to make sure they weren't throwing food or a untencils and for some I had to encourage them to finish portions of their meal. There were other teachers there doing the same thing but it was still hard work. Teachers are always on the go so I am adapting these little balls of energy. Being in the classroom before this trip definitely helped to prepare me. The rest of the day was pretty low key. We made crowns, read books, and played with small table toys which help to strengthen their fine motor skills. They love to cut and glue.