ASHLEY JOHNSON
I am a student at Southern Utah University. As a future Elementary Education graduate, I am always looking for opportunities to gain experience working with, and connecting to students.Â
Raised in a suburban town in Utah, I look forward to opportunities that take me to meet new and diverse people.
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that children are full of potential. Through an engaging and stimulating educational environment, their potential can be cultivated physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Each child has something unique they can add not only to their own education, but the education of those around them. I believe that children learn through doing and exploring, and it is a teacher’s job to provide those learning opportunities for children. I believe that students are capable of accomplishing anything they set their mind to and that teachers have the duty to help students reach those goals through material and emotional support, when possible. I believe that students often develop traits from their teacher and peers which is why I will remain an example of being open-minded, supportive, kind, and patient in hopes that the students will reflect it not only in the classroom, but in their lives.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
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This EDGE project is designed to provide experience in teaching, leading, and communicating with both children and their parents. SUU hosts an artsFUSION summer camp for children ages 8-12 where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in STEM integrated visual arts, movement, and music as they explore a variety of themes, techniques, and styles. My role was documenting the activities each day, guiding and teaching the students on each project, observing and supporting the camp directors, and assisting with prep work. I also had the task of creating a portfolio of the camp experiences.
PHOTOS
PROJECT DETAILS
Prior to the camp, I spend 30+ hours prepping materials needed for the many art projects we would be doing. Once the camp started, I would arrive half an hour before to gather the needed materials for the days projects. Once the children arrived, they were split depending on age. They went to music or art, had a snack break, then would switch to the other class.
In the music class, they learned songs that helped them connect with ancestors and their families. They also reflected on their own feelings and desires of who they wanted to be when they grew up. This was all done through singing, moving to the music, and playing on instruments.
In the art camp, the students created STEM integrated art projects that helped their lights "shine" as they created individually meaningful and creative projects.Â
At the end of the week, they had a music performance with their art projects on display and lit up around the room.
REFLECTION
This project was a very resourceful and useful experience that taught me many life and career oriented skills. While at the camp, I was able to observe 2 different teachers with incredible leadership skills, and yet very different styles from each other. I was then able to practice teaching myself, using both the skills observed at the camp, and my previously developed leadership style. I found out that I am a type of leader who is happy to take a step back and let students step up when appropriate. I also learned how to gain control of a classroom effectively and quickly.
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By directing and guiding the students in the summer camp, I was able to gain confidence in teaching and working with students of different ages. The benefit of this outcome is that the experience will improve my teaching abilities. By participating in the planning and organizing of the summer camp, I was able to learn how to better collaborate and work with other teachers. The benefit of this outcome is knowing how to effectively build lesson plans as a team. By documenting and recording each day’s projects, I gained experience in using technology. The benefit of this outcome is that I now can better communicate with parents, students, and other staff on our class projects.
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With the skills learned in classroom management and directing projects, I look forward to directing my own class in the future. I have gained skills in engaging my students that will help me build a rapport with my students that will garner respect and friendship. I can now confidently enter my career field knowing how to work with different ages, having fun STEM integrated art projects to teach, and knowing how to document my experiences for use in my future resume.