How have you grown as a teacher from this experience so far (skills, understanding, or knowledge gained) (lesson planning, classroom management, demonstrations, etc…)?

As a teacher, I have grown from this internship experience because it has given me a better understanding of how mosaics work and what the process is when you get closer to the end of a mosaic mural. We are hoping to get the mural done by the end of April, so seeing the final steps is really neat to see because this material is still very new to me.

What new understandings do you have about children/education/your role in the classroom?

The new understandings that I have about children in the classroom of a mosaic mural is that it can be a little difficult because it is very easy to lose the children’s interest because they are so young. One of the things that I learned from this internship is that it is difficult to use mosaics with young children because they have a tendency to lose interest. I have learned that my role as the teacher in this specific classroom is to make sure the children are still learning, but also keeping the children on track so they don’t get distracted.

What has made you happy about teaching this quarter?

One thing that has made me happy about teaching this semester is the fact that this mural is almost complete and it will be installed in the UW-Stout Library for years to come. Another thing that makes me happy is the excitement that the kids have when they get to come and make art out of an unusual material.

What is something that you would like to work on improving by the end of the semester?

One thing that I would like to work on improving by the end of the semester is getting the children to continue working on the mural without wanting a break or two during the work time.