Student Teaching Experience: Spring 2013
I spent my final semester at Hope College student teaching at Cityside and Creekside Middle Schools in Zeeland, Michigan.
January 7th- May 3rd
Creekside Middle School Where I Spent Most of My Time
I had a unique experience during my student teaching semester because I got to work with one mentor-teacher who taught both dance and English. My mentor-teacher, Jill Landes, taught at both Cityside and Creekside Middle Schools in Zeeland. The first hour we taught was an 8th-grade dance class at Cityside Middle School. We then would travel to Creekside Middle school (about a mile away) and teach three different 7th-grade English Language Arts hours and our final hour was another 8th-grade dance class. Although very different, I had valuable experiences teaching both dance and English!
Teaching Dance
For both 8th-grade dance classes I co-taught a student-choreography unit as well as a performance and choreography unit. I also created and taught an Irish dancing unit.
For the student choreography unit I taught lessons on the elements of dance as well as lessons on choreography. For the summative assessment students choreographed dances and performed then performed them.
For the performance and choreography unit I choreographed a musical theater piece as well as a street jazz piece which the students performed at the annual spring concert.
For the Irish dance unit I taught Irish culture, technique, and choreography. For the summative assessment students performed the Irish dance choreography at the annual spring concert.
For the student choreography unit I taught lessons on the elements of dance as well as lessons on choreography. For the summative assessment students choreographed dances and performed then performed them.
For the performance and choreography unit I choreographed a musical theater piece as well as a street jazz piece which the students performed at the annual spring concert.
For the Irish dance unit I taught Irish culture, technique, and choreography. For the summative assessment students performed the Irish dance choreography at the annual spring concert.
Teaching English Language Arts
In 7th-grade English Language Arts I created and taught a unit on The Diary of Anne Frank. I also created and taught a mini poetry unit.
While full-time teaching I taught a full grammar unit following the Grammar, Usage, Mechanics curriculum being used by the school district and along with this I taught spelling lessons using the Sitton Spelling curriculum.
While full-time teaching I taught a full grammar unit following the Grammar, Usage, Mechanics curriculum being used by the school district and along with this I taught spelling lessons using the Sitton Spelling curriculum.