Throughout my senior year of high school, I volunteered in a first grade classroom at the

district elementary school. When I came to South Dakota State University, I received several

experiences and opportunities to observe in the education field, but I was missing the hands-on

experience of being truly involved and tested in the classroom. Searching for opportunities to

continue to grow my professional development and learn more about myself, I contacted the

principal at Dakota Prairie Elementary School, and I was connected with a second grade teacher

at the school after that. In the second grade classroom, I volunteered for one hour two to three

times a week for more than a semester. Typically, I would do some tasks for the teacher, such as

make copies and print worksheets, assist students with projects they were working on, and work

with students individually on topics such as spelling and math. Overall, it was an experience

where I gained first-hand experiences of interacting with children, and I learned how I want my

role as a teacher to look like in the future.

To continue, I gained valuable first hand experiences of interacting with children from

multiple backgrounds and academic levels in the second grade classroom. Every day I was in the

classroom, I tutored individual students in topics the teacher was hoping for improvement in.

Professionally, these experiences were really important for me because I experienced how

important it is to create moments of genuine connections with the students. For example, one

student I frequently assisted with spelling was having a particularly difficult time with one of her

personalized spelling tests. For three weeks, she had been stuck on the same words. I remained

positive that together we would be able to figure out the root of the problem together, and we

spoke about how she doesn’t usually practice her spelling words at home because no one helps

her with it like I do. From there, I showed her how she could write each of the words five times
by herself to help memorize how they were spelled. We made a pact that she would do this at

home that week, and she came back with a new spelling list the next week! It was a special

moment when I learned how important it is to know your students on every level, not just

academic.

More so, while in the classroom, I learned more about myself and how I want my role as

the teacher to look. In the second grade classroom, the teacher was an active guide that helped

the students complete projects and learn on their own and from each other more than herself. I

learned that this was a really important component to how successful her classroom was.

Therefore, I was able to form my own philosophy for teaching and how I thought my philosophy

corresponded with how I interact with students. From this experience in the classroom, I believe

that children are capable, competent, and able to build their own knowledge through exploration.

Now, I see my role as a teacher as being an active guide in their learning journey. At the end of

the day, I want it to be the student’s learning journey and have the classroom be child-led in

inquiry and curiosity, instead of the classroom being teacher-led.

Another important piece of my experience volunteering in the classroom was observing

the second grade teacher meetings. Witnessing these meetings was a huge part of learning for me

in this process because I was able to hear professionals speak about the development of their

curriculum in the classroom and the hiccups they faced in the process. They were supportive of

each other and were willing to help each other grow professionally. These meetings helped me

learn that being a team member is vital to making sure every student receives a valuable

education and a chance to develop to their full potential.

 Lastly, I am thankful for my experiences in the field of education at South Dakota State

University because they have shown me that I am truly on the path that I want to be on

professionally. I know there is a lot more that I will have to learn before becoming an elementary

teacher. However, I am excited to commit myself to being a lifelong learner in the community of

education and learn more about myself as a teacher as well.