During my Master's year, I worked at a school based in a community hospital in London, England. The students I worked with faced severe trauma resulting in mental health challenges. Working with these 13 to 18 year olds expanded my definition of education. Today, I look for ways to incorporate arts and music into lessons. I also value conversations with my students more and make an effort to create personal relationships after working at Northgate. The photo is one of my students at an art gallery during a field trip.
I also had the opportunity to travel around Europe with London being my home base. After traveling in Cape Town, I felt I had the skills necessary to try to understand European history and culture from a critical standpoint. It is through my travels that I learned how to respond in culturally diverse situations. This benefits my teaching because I can more efficiently respond to my students', families' and peers' culture. I also learned how to take a step back and ask important questions to understand the purpose and meaning behind cultural practices. I will bring these lessons to my future classrooms.
|