For my internship I was placed in Mrs. Jones 3rd grade class at Bethel Elementary.  During my block I was immersed in all kinds activities that elementary children can do successfully if instructed and guided effectively.  I took reading, literature, math, social studies, and technology all of which provided me background knowledge and ideas that I used during the five weeks I was in the classroom.
     During the time I was in the class I had to read and correct many of the students papers and stories.  If it wasn’t for “Dr. Bob’s” repeated viewing of children’s writing during the letter name and with-in word pattern stages I would have never been able to read the way they spell words.  In literature, with Beth, we participated and created literature circle strategies that I used with my reading group.  The students liked doing the different jobs and it reinforced their reading, writing, and speaking ability.  The experiences I had during block made my reading groups successful and enjoyable for both the students and me.
 In my math class with Pam we discussed the constructivist techniques that develop a better number sense.  In the elementary school I was asked to do practice EOG questions and have the students talk out how they were doing the problem.  I exposed them to some constructivist techniques to solving the problems.  Pam also taught us a lot of activities and games to do with the students.  I used these when the teacher was absent and the substitute had nothing to do for math.  We played “circles and stars” a grouping game that reviews the multiplication tables.
     The most enjoyable experiences I had was when I did activities that were social studies and science related.  During my internship I was able to play with bubbles with the kids.  This is a favorite activity of mine and I love to share my knowledge with others.  We made the bubble juice, discussed what type of weather is best, the shapes they can make, and why they pop.  They loved to make the giant bubbles and catch the small ones with their hands.  This activity was a follow up of a bulletin board that the students and I made that related to social studies and occupations that aided the community.  We also dealt with environmental issues and hand made paper by recycling.  The students really enjoyed being apart of, and learning about, the way paper is made and putting their hands in the pulp.  Paper is something that we use and throw away every day.  Most people just take it for granted and have no clue about how it is made or how easily it can be recycled. I feel that these experiences are good ways of teaching students about the world around them, while also giving experiences in science and social issues.
     If I had to do it all over again I would have done more activities that I learned in block.  I think that the students would really like “Carl” a stuffed bird that travels to people all around the state, community, or US and gets his picture taken, the place is documented, and the students learn about the it from a person who is there.  I also would have played more math games that related to multiplication and geometry.  At the beginning I created a newsletter about myself as an introduction to the parents.  If I were to do that again I would have the students interview me and I would help them type and print the newsletter.  I feel that I could write for pages about experiences that I would like offering the students in that class.  I feel that I could have been a bit more of a disciplinarian, for better time management.  In the future I would need to communicate better with the students the behavior I accept and do not accept.
    From this internship I have learned that it takes experience to be a good teacher.  You can read and talk about what works with children in class but you will never really be able to know unless you try it yourself. Teaching is a fast-paced decision making job with many variables that determine how the children will react to an idea or situation.  Good teachers must be flexible in order to change and adapt themselves to suit the needs of their students, but at the same time be stern and fair to all in the class.  This delicate tightrope walk is what makes a teacher respected and loved by the students, parents, and colleagues.