Melissa Murphree
Teaching Experience
Creating a lesson plan is a lengthy process, but it is helpful because it provides structure and a step-by-step process of what a lesson should look like. I enjoyed creating this lesson plan because it gave me an insight to the research and planning teachers have to do before introducing a new lesson to students. Lesson plans are beneficial in the classroom because they allow teachers to stay on task and be organized.
Volunteer Experience
During the Fall 2015 semester, I volunteered at Growing Room Development Center of Auburn in a 4k classroom. I was able to observe lead teachers and parapros as they interacted with the children and led instructional time. I helped with basic things like gathering the students for reading time or even just playing with them during center time. Volunteering at Growing Room was a great experience because I was able to see what a preschool-like setting was like versus a traditional school system classroom. I would love to volunteer in a daycare setting again one day.
I volunteered at Storybook Farm during the Spring 2015 semester. Storybook Farm is a place where people, specifically children, with disabilities can go to enjoy therapeutic horseback riding. Volunteering at SBF was a greatly rewarding experience because I was able to laugh and play with children and I could also see the joy in their faces each time they rode their horse. It is also evident that the other volunteers and SBF employees love what they do and they love helping these children. Volunteering at the farm taught me to have an open mind to diversity.
Using a SMART Board is an easy way to add fun and excitement to a boring lesson. SMART technologies allow students to remain engaged using both visual and auditory memory. I created an addition lesson using a SMART Notebook technology. Creating this lesson was interesting to me because I was able to understand how this technology can be used in the classroom.
During my time at Auburn, I had the privilege of taking many helpful courses which included content that will guide me in my profession as a teacher. In particular, I took a course entitled Instructional Technology for Educators, which taught me how to incorporate technology into a classroom. Below are two examples of assignments I created based on the use of technology in the classroom.
Teaching Reading
Videos made during Teaching Reading Experience (Spring 2016).
letterbox lesson oa/ow = /O/
scaffolding oral reading
Lesson Plans
Lesson plans created and executed in Kindergarten classroom during Fall 2016 Practicum.