My Field Experience

I did my first field experience at Madison Elementary in the St. Cloud School

District. I worked with Mrs. Stacy Louis and her fifth grade students. The lesson plans

focused on Language Arts. As I am reflecting back at the time I spent at Madison

Elementary, I realized a couple of things. From the first day of field experience, to

my last, I found it amazing how receptive the students were to me. Even that first day,

when I stood nervously in front of them trying to perform my first lesson plan. When I

had one on one contact with a student in the first couple of weeks, they were a little

tentative, but by my last day of field experience, it was as if I had been there all year. 

They really adjusted well to having me in their classroom, and that was rewarding for me.

I feel so much satisfaction from being able to teach and help them.

 Madison Elementary is a very diverse school, which I found to be very intriguing.

I do not have a lot of experience with other cultures in a school setting, and I am

extremely grateful that I was able to experience it through my field experience. There are

some Somali students in Mrs. Louis’s classroom, and I really did not know what to

expect at first. After spending some time in her classroom, I found them to be very

delightful students. The only trouble I had was interpreting their accents on occasion. 

They were very patient with me when I would ask them to repeat a word. Overall, I think

they spoke English very well. Some of the Somali students had trouble with their

writing and comprehension of what they were reading.  Mrs. Louis had me help some of

them one on one and that was rewarding for me.

One of the hot topics in Education right now is about religion in school.  On my

first day, a Somali woman came to Mrs. Louis door, and all the Somali students stopped

what they were doing, stood up, and left the room with her.  I inquired where

they went, and she responded that they went to pray. This was not a concept that I had

ever witnessed before. I have been a paraprofessional within the Elk River School

District and I had never experience students leaving in the middle of class to go pray.

Every time I was there, at the same time every day, they would all leave class to pray. I

am not sure how I should feel about religion in school.  My first reaction was that school

and religion should be separate if you attend a public school, but after thinking about it, I

came to the conclusion that they have strong beliefs in their religion, and it doesn’t hurt

to respect our differences.

I learned many things in the short amount of time I spent with Mrs. Louis and her

students at Madison Elementary.  Mrs. Louis is very good with her students, and I feel

she had a good student-teacher relationship.  She believes in keeping a quieter

atmosphere in her classroom.  She feels that she needs a quiet atmosphere to think and

learn in, and she thinks that some of her students need the same. I liked her logic because

I am one of those people who needs quiet when I am reading or trying to concentrate.

On my last day, I thanked Mrs. Louis and her class for welcoming me into their

classroom, and I brought cookies to share with the students.  A couple of the students

expressed to me that they were sad it was my last day. I know that I have to be a

professional, and that I am just a teacher, but I was a little sad, as I connected with some

of the students. Overall, I enjoyed my time at Madison Elementary, it was a very

rewarding experience for me.