McKenzie Spears

Responsibilities

In the morning, I work in the office with my supervisors. Laminating and cutting out pictures for classroom teachers, answering phone calls, cleaning the lobby, and filing papers and receipts are all tasks I complete during my office hours. If we are short staffed, I bounce around to rooms that need another teacher during those hours as well. In the afternoon, I go into one of our classrooms and stay there until the end of the day. I help the kids put their quiet time things away and get ready for snack. After snack we get our outdoor clothing on and play outside for as long as the weather allows. We finish our day with a book and center time. Before I leave I check the closing list to make sure all responsibilities are completed and lock up.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment from my LilyPad experience is working with the students and getting to know each and every one of them on a personal level. I know what triggers, motivates, and excites each student. I learned a lot through interacting with them, watching other teachers interact with them, and observing how they talk and play with their friends and parents. I have a strong bond with each child, and am already dreading my last day.

What advice would you give?

Don't go into your internship thinking that it's going to be a waste of time or pointless. I guarantee you will learn something new, you will find different techniques that work better than yours, you will make relationships that will be hard to say goodbye to, and you will find skills within yourself you didn't know you have. Depending on your internship location you may have hard or tiring days, but just remember that you are making a difference and leaving an impact on your clients.