Karina Diaz

Field Experience EDUC-230-02

“Discussion Questions”
Discussion 1: Introductions

Hi, my name is Karina Diaz, and this is my third semester at RVCC. I'm expected to transfer
next fall. My plan was always to transfer to Kean. However, after hearing about the centenary
program here at RV, I might consider that program instead. I'd love to teach elementary school
or 6th-grade math. I have a strong passion for math and use to tutor kids when I was in high
school. During foundations, I was at a preschool which was a great experience and the little kids
were so kind. My son who is 4years old in preschool is the reason why I love to teach kids. Just
watching his face brighten with joy when he is able to accomplish something such as read a
sentence or write his complete name, allowed me to see I want to see that same reaction with
other kids when they learn something new. As a parent its proud moment and as a teacher it is a
fulfilling moment knowing you helped a child reach their goal.

Discussion 2: Philosophy of Education

My teacher is a second-grade teacher at Lafayette, she was able to email me a copy of her
philosophy statement and explain it to me when I saw her in class. He state goes like this:
"All children are different and they have an innate need to express themselves in unique ways.
Thus, providing multiple, varied assessments is essential.
Childhood is a time of imagination and in an age when arts instruction is increasingly limited in
schools, teachers should provide children with daily creative outlets to express their thoughts,
whether that be through writing, art projects, or other types of inquiry.
I believe that in order to learn, one must have both a confidence in their knowledge and in
themselves, and this confidence should be fostered by a sensitive teacher who understands her
students’ thoughts, actions and interests. "
I agree with her philosophy and I can see that we have similar ideas of how we see ourselves in a
classroom. I really like that she states all children are different because that is key, at least to
me. I believe one needs to treat every student differently because every child grows at their own
rate, learns at their own pace and with the right guidance of a confident teacher, the student will
have success. I like that she fits childhood and imagination. You must fully understand all
students especially in a classroom where it is all-inclusive.

Discussion 3: Administration

For this assignment, I decided to do the pre-k school my son attends. The administration is the
director of the school who actually owns 2 buildings of pre-k located in the same town. Below
the director is the supervisor who is basically in charge of the school and all the teachers and
teacher assistants. Any issues the teacher may have has to go by the supervisor first and then the
director. There is also one staff hired as a secretary who takes care of phone calls, attendance,
lunch forms, billing, and parent communications. The school also has three family workers who
are assigned about 40 students each to provide service for the child and their families, their
involvement with the children's early education, health concerns, and providing any outside
community resources the parents might need to help the child succeed. My son's teacher says
director is very friendly and involved with the kids and the teachers. She is welcoming to
everybody and likes to be up to date with the latest on each student. She tells me that she heard
complaints from other staff that they don't like the way the supervisor confronts
issues. Sometimes she pulls the teacher out and talks to her in the hallway or in her office with
the door open. The problem with that is that she has a loud strong voice so others can
hear. From observing the school as a parent, I can see that the administration is very respectful,
and all have a common goal of wanting the children to succeed. I've met the director a couple of
times and she always greets me by name. My son gives her a hug and a high five so that must be
a good sign that they have a positive, friendly environment.

Discussion 4: Preparing for a School year

After talking to the second-grade teacher that I observe, she told me that planning for a new
school year can be stressful, exciting, and anxiety-inducing all at the same time. She starts a
week before they go back for professional development. She says a week before professional
development, she starts going in every day and working on getting her classroom
ready. Everything needs to be unpacked and the order needs to be sorted and organized. She
tries to wait to label anything until the day before the school starts because rosters often
change. I think that is really smart because you never know there can kids that transfer the last
minute. All this takes her about 4 hours for about 3 to 4 days. She says the best part is getting
excited for a whole new group of kids and knowing you are about to make a difference in their
lives. The worst part she says is the Stress, she is always adding more things to her to-do list and
that can be overwhelming. I like that she makes a to-do list because that is me every day, I love
to-do lists they are extremely helpful and important in keeping you on task and I know the
stressful feeling of having to add more things to the list.
In order for everything to go smoothly, she suggests to do a little bit each day. She also likes to
plan for the first couple of weeks of school pretty structured and then just adjust as needed. That
she always has something to do when finishing an activity early or if there is a change in the plan
last minute. A tip of what not to do she says is DO NOT spend all your time thinking about or
preparing things for school. She says to try to leave school at school and make time for you.

Discussion 5: What is back to School Night like?

Although I was unable to get a response from my 2nd grade teacher in Bound Brook, I asked my
mom who is a Pre-K teacher about her back to school night format. She shared with me that it
typically begins with all the parents gathered in the cafeteria listening to a speech by the director
of the school. She will introduce herself and goals for the school year. She mentions that there is
always a translator because many of the parents are Spanish speaking with limited English. She
said this year was quite different because the director wanted to reinforce to the parents about
how important it is that children expand their vocabulary and limit the TV or any type of
technology time. Afterward, the parents go to their child's classroom to meet with the teacher.
My mom mentions that she has all the parents sign in to verify who came. Then she gives each
parent a packet, like the Welcome Letter we did in class. It has an All about me page with a class
photo, a copy of the daily schedule, and she includes two pages of tips on how the parent can
help the child have a successful school year. She mentions that the back to school night is short,
so time is limited. She explains the goals for each student to be ready for kindergarten. She also
takes the time to hand out a classroom supply list and ask the parents if they can bring at least
two of the items. Some examples are tissues, paper towels, glue sticks, and baby wipes. She said
parents are willing to do so and usually bring it on the first day of school without being
told. Then she leaves the last couple of minutes for parents to explore the classroom and open to
anybody who wants to ask questions.
One helpful tip she gave me is always knowing what language preference a parent would like
papers in. I think that is important, especially if it is important information you want the parents
to be able to read it in a language they understand.

Discussion 6: Parents

After talking to my teacher about the parent/teacher relationship, she said that the relationships
with parents and families are very important. She told me that it is important to create a team
between yourself and the child's family because then the student realizes that everyone wants
them to succeed and everyone is there to help. She keeps a very open line of communication
with parents. She informs the parents that they can reach out to her before, during, or after
school through the app Class Dojo. She said a time that she had to deal with an extremely
challenging parent was once when a parent wanted to know basically everything that was going
on during the day, which she said was very difficult because she said she had 24 students at the
time and could not devote all of that one-on-one attention to just one student. She had a
discussion with the parent and settled on a weekly report to send home to the parent every week
with notes about the student's progress and areas that need to be further worked on at home. She
had a lot to say about challenging parents, but one thing that stood out was that she said that she
would plan to take what a parent is concerned about and spin it so that you are working WITH
the parent and not for the parent. She said to come up with plans that are feasible for you. She
said most parents are difficult when it comes to students' grades so always come up with positive
things to say, even if a student is difficult.
I enjoyed talking to my teacher about this, she had a lot to say about the relationship between
teachers and parents. I would agree with her because it is important that a parent knows you
have open communication with parents because that is something that should always be
established. I really like it when she described the relationship as a team since I feel that both are
working on the same common goal of having their child, the student, succeed.

Discussion 8: Budget

The teacher's budget is very limited. My mom is a pre-k teacher in Plainfield district, and she
says she is only allowed a $100 budget that covers materials for her classroom like bulletin board
paper, crayons, markers, posters, construction paper, etc. However, that still isn't enough. On
occasion like for back to school night or when she meets with parents for conferences, she would
ask if they can contribute to the classroom by bringing some supplies such as tissues, Clorox
wipes, or glue sticks. She is a big fan of garage sales and thrift shops she has found a lot of good
children's books to add to her library collection, kid’s dress-up clothes, and kitchen toys. To save
money I would get most of the classroom supplies from the dollar store, I know there are a lot of
great finds there. I would also look online to see where I can buy a large number of supplies, I
need. I know Amazon prime offers bulk supplies of markers and glue sticks at good deals.
Discussion 9: Challenges

Teachers are faced with a lot of challenges on a daily basis that they must overcome. I think the
biggest challenge I would face becoming an excellent teacher is probably time
management. With time management, my biggest concern would be procrastination. I tend to
procrastinate so much because I put so much on my plate that it's hard to balance everything and
accomplish certain tasks. I think as a teacher I would need to organize myself well and
prioritize, setting a schedule to get tasks accomplished helps as well. My teacher said her major
challenge was classroom management and she was concerned about how she would handle a
class with about twenty-five students. She said teaching is sometimes a trial and error approach
because every student is different, and you have to find a technique where students learn best and
would stay attentive and engaged.

Discussion 10: Career Path

I am currently a sophomore at RVCC. My plans were to transfer by the end of this semester, but
my son became sick, so I was unable to take some extras classes in the summer. I think
everything happens for a reason. So, this Spring 2020 will be my last semester and I am
planning to transfer to Kean in Fall 2020 to earn my bachelor’s degree. I am also interested in
the Centenary program at RVCC, after hearing about its last semester in class and everything the
program offers was intriguing and I'm currently doing my research to see what I decide. I would
love to go to Kean because that is where my mom got her teaching degree and has wonderful
things to say about them. Also, I've been at RVCC for many years with changing my majors and
all, I wouldn't mind exploring other universities I think that would be a great experience for me.
For right now I'm keeping both options open. But will need to decide soon.
When I do graduate from the 4-year school I plan to get a teaching job in grades K-3 or if I get
the opportunity, I would love to teach 6-grade math in public schools. I have many supporters,
people who are willing to help me with my career path, and people to keep me grounded and
focus so I stay on track. My mom is a teacher and is always willing to help. My son's teacher
has been super helpful and knows I'm pursuing teaching degree and is always giving me advice.
Being a mother, working and going to school is challenging and stressful. Honestly, my son is
what motivates me each day to keep going and not giving up on achieving my goals. I know this
is what I want to do and can't wait to begin teaching!