Field Experiences

Dakota Prairie Elementary 1st Grade

August 2020- December 2020

650 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. This was a semester long

experience that lasted 15 weeks. During this field experience, I was able to plan and implement

instruction in a classroom environment. I observed a experienced teacher and worked with the

teacher to plan instruction. I learned about the planning that goes into creating lessons for each

subject and I learned how to administer assessments to collect data. This was a helpful

experience for me because I was able to take over the classroom of 19 students and I was able

to plan for weeks of instruction and see those plans through. I was also able to collect

important data and give assessments that would drive my instruction for each individual

student.

Medary Elementary Kindergarten

November 2019-December 2019

8 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this 8-week field

experience, I was able to focus on reading instruction in a kindergarten classroom. I observed

reading instruction take place and took anecdotal records of my observations. I also assisted

the teacher by giving one on one assessments and guiding small group activities. I worked with

the kindergarten teacher to create a lesson that I implemented during reading instruction. I

learned about the planning that goes into creating a lesson for reading instruction and I learned

about some of the assessments that are given to kindergarten students. This experience was

helpful for me, because I learned how to plan an effective reading lesson. Some students in the

class were on Individualized Education Plans, including behavioral plans and speech language

plans. The ethnicity of the students in this class were diverse.

South Dakota State University- Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education 3 and 4 year

olds

January 2019-April 2019

100 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this semester, long

experience, I gained experience in planning and implementing whole group and small group

lessons. I also gained classroom management and time management skills. I worked closely

with parents as I went on home visits, created goals for each child, and conducted parent-

teacher conferences. I learned how to create weekly newsletters and used technology in

different ways. This experience was extremely helpful and important for my development as a

teacher. I learned many skills that I will use in my future and I gained confidence in my ability to

lead instruction. I learned how to work as a member of a team beside my co-teachers. I also

learned communication skills while interacting with parents, students, and co-teachers. I
created a portfolio for my students and learned how to track and assess their development. The

ethnicities of the students in this class were diverse.

South Dakota State University- Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education 2 and 3 year

olds

November- December 2018

10 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this experience, I was an

assistant teacher in a 2-3-year-old classroom. I learned how to reflect on my experiences and

created anecdotal observations. I observed children and connected their actions to

developmental milestones. During this experience, I learned how to assist a teacher in lessons

and observed teachers plan and implement lesson plans. This experience was helpful because I

was able to observe and take notes of what I saw in the classroom, while also working closely

with students and teachers. I also observed how to interact with parents and accompanied a

teacher on a home visit. The ethnicities of the students in this class were diverse.

Medary Elementary MCL/Kindergarten

September- October 2018

10 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this experience, I observed

and interacted with students in a Mass Customized Learning classroom. This was an important

experience in my education as I learned about the way a MCL classroom is conducted and
worked closely with an experienced teacher. I observed the teacher’s interactions with the

students and vice versa. I also worked one-on-one with students and conducted assessments.

The ethnicities of the students in this class were diverse.

South Dakota State University- Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education 2 and 3 year

olds

March 2017

5.5 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this experience, I observed

students and teachers in a 2 and 3 year old classroom. I recorded observations and later

connected them to the typical development of a child that age, as well as theories I have

learned about. The ethnicities of the students in this class were diverse.

South Dakota State University- Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education 4 and 5 year

olds

March 2017

2 hours

This experience took place in urban Brookings, South Dakota. During this experience, I observed

students and teachers in a 4 and 5 year old classroom. I recorded observations and later

connected them to the typical development of a child that age, as well as theories I have

learned about. The ethnicities of the students in this class were diverse.
 Clinton Graceville Beardsley Elementary 2nd grade

December 2016

3 hours

This experience took place in rural Minnesota where most students are Caucasian males

and females. During this experience, I helped in a 2nd grade classroom. I completed an

observation of the classroom environment while also helping students with math homework.

This experience was important in my education, because it was my first real experience

interacting with students in a classroom.