Internship Assignment D

Internship Evaluation

Assignment: D

Your Name:

Mallory Sturtz

Institution:

Cameron House School

Supervisors:

Luci Moore and Mary Ann Malloy

Part 1: Learning Objectives and Work Responsibilities

1.      Major Duties

a.      Teaching children one on one or in small groups

b.      Grading standardized tests, entering results into a spread sheet

c.       Grading tests  and papers

d.      Assisting stations during sport

e.       Organizing classroom, creating bulletin boards

f.       Getting children ready and walking to and from church, swimming, etc.

2.      Were you able to fulfill any of your educational objectives? Describes how your duties contributed to this.

I was able to fill many of my educational objectives that I set for myself as well as the objectives that constitute towards my major. The duties and tasks assigned to me played a key role in helping me to reach my goals. For example by working with students in material I had little background of such as non verbal reasoning, I able to gain confidence while also learning about my capabilities.

Supervisor:

Luci Moore and Mary Ann Malloy

Relationship:

My relationship with everyone at Cameron House is amazing. Everyone is willing to help out and answer questions when needed. All members of the staff whether it is a teacher, secretary, or parent helper, everyone is always pleasant to be around.

Contributions:

Both supervisors contributed to my internship and made it an enjoyable place to work

Training:

Training at the site of my specific internship was minimal. I really have a new task everyday so I try work around and sort out what is thrown at me each day. However, my training and preparation beginning my freshman year played a major role. It would be very difficult for someone with no educational background to come in and do a good job in a school.

Motivation:

Mary Ann provided great motivation. She was always ready to go and willing to help me out. The way she runs her classroom and works with her students motivates me.

Suggestions for improvement:

I admire Mary Ann because she is not afraid to let me know how I am doing the feedback I receive from her is beneficial and much appreciated.

Coworkers:

As previously stated, I have enjoyed working with everyone at Cameron House and getting to know the area, school, and people. Everyone was helpful and a joy to be around.

Yourself:

1.      Appropriate academic preparation?

I felt very prepared going into my placement as I had 3 teaching placements prior to my internship.

2.      Evaluate yours and employers work performance

My co workers all had incredible work ethics and passion for teaching so it was easy to jump on board. The fun atmosphere was always positive, fun and upbeat for everyone

3.      Describe how this experience  has helped you both professionally and personally

From my internship experience I am know more confident and culturally aware. I am more willing to put myself out there and try new things. This will help me tremendously when applying for jobs. When future employers see that I have worked with students abroad I think it will really benefit me.

Central Program

1.      Evaluate application process and information provided to you

I thought the application process was very easy and straight forward. It helps to know what you want to do. If you do have an idea, Jen is awesome at narrowing it down and given you options to choose from. I knew what I wanted to do she from there I was able to select either public or private

2.      Was setting goals and self evaluating beneficial?

I believe so. You can’t work towards something or accomplish anything if you don’t set goals before hand. Also the self evaluating and blogging allowed us to get the most out the experience. If I hadn’t been asked to, I don’t know if I would have blogged as religiously, but looking back I am glad that I did

3.       Was the contact enough or too little?

The contact was perfect. It was enough for us to be able to be led in the right direction without holding our hands through the whole thing. It was always nice knowing that they were there to help

BES 9: Reflection

BES

Assignment 9

Reflection on your time in the UK

            Before coming to London I really didn’t know what to expect. I had heard only wonderful things about the program from previous students but ultimately decided that if I wanted to gain my own understanding and experience of life abroad then I would have to go myself. I have never really been a “home body” and I really enjoy exploring new places and being independent so I was very excited about coming to London. When I got here everything was amazing and I wanted to do everything right away. Eventually some of the excitement wore off and I realized that this isn’t just a vacation this is real life… abroad. As soon as I made that connection I was in love. I love everything about London. When I travel to other countries on weekends I find myself excited to go home… and then I realize that I always refer to home as London rather than the states. Although I do miss many people from home, I’m honestly not ready to leave London. Previous students had told me I would feel this way, but I thought I would totally be ready. I was wrong I never want to leave which goes to show how much my perspectives have changed since arriving.

            One of the most important things I have learned while being abroad is too let go. Don’t let anything or anyone hold you back from having the best semester of your life. Not everything always goes as planned and that’s okay. You won’t get to travel everywhere you want to, you’re going to come home broke, you may miss a few trains, you may have to sleep in dodgy hostels, or even live off granola bars all weekend but ultimately it’s the experience that makes it all worth it!  I have also learned how to emerge myself into a foreign culture. One of the best feelings is getting asked directions or being mistaken to be English. I have also learned some new skills while in London, some could most likely fall under the attempts category too such as cooking…I am really proud of my new navigation skills. I’m usual just okay with direction, but I feel like I can get almost anywhere in London now if I have a map, which will make my dad proud. I have also learned how to bargain, which is a very valuable skill to have if you are a shopper like me! Back to the cooking…I have made some pretty successful meals with the help of my roommates, otherwise I still to eggs, yogurt, and salad really anything that doesn’t require much work however, I plan on being the best cook this summer! I am going to make a really good attempt at it!

            With the experience I have had thus far I hope that it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. All the amazing places I have been and people I have met along the way has really been eye opening and life changing. I have gained new skills and experiences that would have never been discovered otherwise. I have always wanted to move around America from various places before settling down or never settling down who knows? After this experience I really want to live in another country for awhile or forever? It’s really sad to think that too many people never get to experience life outside of their country, particularly the Unites States. It’s so big, but not really that diverse. I could be wrong, those are just my thoughts. There is so much more to the world and I hope to keep traveling! Recently I have been inspired by an old man we met in Sicilia. I do not know his name, but we talked to him for a good half hour. He is originally from New Jersey, but has lived in China for the past 20 years! Which is incredible! He told us he just packed up and left and likes it. He has been to over 90 countries and is currently on a 4 month cruise around the world! I hope to do something like that someday. He gave us some really good advice too… he said the best way to experience the culture is to meet someone on the street and go home with them and find out how they live their life. Of course you would have to be smart about it, but he’s right. You can’t figure out or experience the culture by just taking pictures of buildings. My advice to future students is to study abroad! It will be the best decision you have ever made and even if the first few weeks, maybe month is shaking and you don’t feel like you fit in just give it time and don’t give up because by the end I promise you will be in love! 

BES 8: The Villages of London

BES

Assignment 8

The Villages of London

            One warm and sunny weekend Lindsey, Nic and I set out to watch our friend Ryan play rugby. He told us he had a home game and that his team was based out of Hampstead. None of us had heard of Hampstead or even been to that particular area so agreed to go. Ryan had to go early so he told us to get off at Hampstead, but left us no other instructions so we were left wandering around. After 30 minutes we decided to give up on the rugby game. However, we fell in love with the area so we decided to explore. Later that week we received our final assignment from Mark and Jen. They had assigned us to visit Hampstead, lucky us!

            While exploring Hampstead we stumbled upon a park known as Hampstead Heath which was also recommended by Mark and Jen. The park was absolutely awesome; it is easily my favorite park. The park is very large and contains many walking paths, green spaces, ponds, and hills. We ventured around the park for quite some time before deciding to follow the crowd to the top of a big hill. From the top of Hampstead Heath was the city of London. We could see much of London from where we were standing including St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Olympic Stadium. Off to the left we could see many of the beautiful houses that make up the village of Hampstead. It is a very wealthy part of London, and many of the houses were upon hills. Many people at the park were riding bikes, reading, picnic, playing football, and even flying kites. Nic and I really want to go fly a kite there before we leave. I loved the area of Hampstead because it seems to be off on its own. It’s a good place to go and relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

            I also really enjoyed the cute shops and market. We stopped to buy fruit at a market and got some good deals on a lot of fruit. We also bought items to make a stir fry that night. On our way home we decided to stop for smoothies at a juice bar. The smoothies were full of lots of yogurt which we thought we would really enjoy, but they turned out to be rather bitter but that didn’t stop us from finishing them. After spending the whole afternoon at the park, we had enjoyed ourselves so much and the weather was so nice that we decided we would come back the next day. That night Nic and I researched kites. We had the hardest time finding a store that sold a cheap kite so sadly we had to forget the kite. We are determined to fly a kite at Hampstead before we leave though. I hope that I can take my grandparent to Hampstead when they come to visit I think that they would really enjoy overlooking the city.

BES 7: Remembrance

BES

Assignment 7

Remembrance: the Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum is located in the quaint area of London known as Lambeth. The Museum is very unique as it features a wide range of conflicts, particularly those involving Britain and the commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. The museum was very interesting and severed as a way to understand the history of modern war and “wartime experience.” I was particularly interested in going to the Imperial War Museum because both of my grandfathers served for the United States during World War II. At the end of my time here in London my grandparents are coming to visit. I can’t wait to take my grandpa to the museum I think that both him and my grandma will really enjoy it.

The museum is surrounded by a beautiful park. The park was full of many people reading and enjoying the weather. The park was also surrounded by trees and flowers. Displayed outside front of the museum were cannons. It was hard to imagine that it was actually used in a war due to the size of it. As we walked into the museum off to the right was a very small September 11^th memorial. In the opening entrance of the museum there were several plans and other War machinery that operated during the wars. While at the museum Lindsey and I took part in did both the Blitz and Trench experiences. The trench experience was a simulation that depicted the environment of a WWI foot soldier in the trenches of France. The Blitz experience re enacted the inside of an East End London bomb shelter during WWII. My favorite exhibition at the Imperial War Museum was the Holocaust exhibit. This is an area in history that has always held my interest. It was so unreal that such an event actual took place and plays an important role in history. It took us a total of two and a half hours to make our way through the exhibition and that was without viewing everything. I read, watched, and looked at as many displays as I possibly could. It was so sad to see how many people were persecuted due to their religion and what turned into the persecution based on much more. After touring the exhibition not only was I physically drained, but emotionally as well. I was glad that we chose to view the Holocaust exhibit last, after touring it I had no energy left to look at anything else.

After touring parts of the museum I now have a better understanding of the role Britain played in the wars. It was interesting to see another countries perspective. Before I had only viewed and learned about wars from the perspective of the United States. Overall I enjoyed my visit to the museum and would have to say surprisingly has been one of my favorites.

BES 6: Greenwich

BES

Assignment 6

Greenwich: Imperial Legacy and Future Prosperity

            On Friday March 16^th along with my study abroad group, I spent the day in Greenwich. We traveled to Greenwich by boat. It was neat to see the different attractions off of the Thames River. On the boat tour we were given bits of information about each attraction. Most of the information and attractions we had already seen, but the beauty of London never gets old. Greenwich is a district south of London, located in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Greenwich is most notable for its museums. We also learned that Greenwich Park will host the Olympic and Paralympics Equestrian competitions, plus the combined running and shooting event of the Modern Pentathlon. Once we arrived in Greenwich we made our way to the Museums. In order to get to the museums we had to hike a massive hill that was as steep as it was long. It was quite the workout and we were all out of breath by the time we reached the top. Mark, our program direct jokes about taking the trip out of the program because hiking the hill is that awful!

            Once we reached the top our first stop was the Royal Observatory. Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and The Prime Meridian of the World, making it the official starting point for each new day and year. It is also home to the UK’s largest refracting telescope. My favorite part about the Royal Observatory was getting the opportunity to stand on the Prime Meridian and across it. It was neat to say that I have officially been in two hemispheres at once. We also made our way to the Queen’s Gallery. The Queen’s House is from the 17^th century and represents a turning point in English architecture. It was originally the home of Charles I’s queen, Henrietta Maria. It now displays a fine art collection.

            After touring the museums we made our way to the markets. I found them to be very similar to the clothing, food, and other items sold at markets in London’s centre. We found a Mexican restaurant to eat at and ended up getting free drinks and appetizers just because! Afterwards we got gelato at a shop called Black Vanilla. It was by far some of the best ice cream I had had and they gave you a good amount for your money as well! After spending the afternoon in Greenwich we hoped on the DLR to Canary Warf. The DLR was really cool it was like a mix between the tube and a train. It was a lot nicer than the tube, and we seemed to get to our destination a lot quicker. Once at Caney Warf we spent our time just walking around and observing the area. I had been there once before and really enjoyed it. It is very modern and reminded me a lot of the United States with the tall skyscrapers. In a way it didn’t really feel like London and that bothered me a bit. Overall Canary Warf was pretty and I loved all the ports it had and restaurants around the edge of the river. One night we went out for dinner along the river there were many lights and a little fire. It was a lot of fun!

BES 5: East End

BES

Assignment 5

The East End: London’s contemporary art centre

The east end of London is one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse areas. It is often easily overlooked due to an old stereotype that once portrayed the east end as less fortunate. Before completing the walk I had not realized that I had been to the east end of London previously. The area was very full of life and contained a combination of both old and modern architecture, houses, and buildings. It reminded me a lot of higher end Camden market. There were many markets and food stands similar to the markets in Camden. I enjoyed the markets on Brick Lane. Lindsey and I found a vintage market, selling various odds and ends representing items from at least two decades ago.  Brick Lane also contained a lot of graffiti which was really neat. I enjoyed looking at the art and thought the images reflected the area well. I was also attracted to many of the colors. While touring the area I saw a graffiti artist at work. He had just spray painted a building with a little one-eyed blue blob that looked something like the monster off the film Monsters Inc. We took several pictures; my favorite was an image of robot like characters performing athletic events. In the bottom corner was a digital clock with the time 20:12 representing the summer Olympics.

While walking we saw many Georgian Houses that were first settled in by silk weavers. They were comprised of bricks and came to a point near the top reflecting somewhat of a gothic style. Many of the Georgian houses have been updated to resemble the rest of the area and a more modern look. We also passed Old Truman’s Brewery which is home to the hive of the east end’s creative business, independent shops, galleries, and bars. Upon visiting this area I was honestly expecting a “brewery”, but was actually glad to find out that it was another area for markets. I can honestly say that is one thing I will miss the most when I return home. We also ventured to White chapel art gallery and Bell foundry. The gallery was very interesting. It was different than many of the galleries we have been touring for art class. It reminded me of a more modern gallery although many of the items displayed were of older decent. I found the exhibit with the mirrors and paintings very interesting. It portrayed several images or simply one image, but was surrounded with mirrors it appeared deceiving. Our last stop on our walk was the White Chapel Bell Foundry.  The Bell Foundry is the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. Its main business is the manufacturing of church bells, their fittings, and accessories. A fun fact is that the White Chapel Bell Foundry is responsible for the production of the liberty Bell. It still produces many bells today and is one of the most popular and sought after bell companies in the world.

BES 4: Organization

Mallory Sturtz

Assignment Four

Organization

Ever since I was a little girl I have been involved in the sport soccer. Starting at the young age of four I played all throughout my childhood and school years. I loved soccer and still do, as it is one of my favorite sports to not only play but watch. When I learned that we would be given the opportunity to participate in a club, I immediately wanted to join a football (soccer) club. My friend Abby, who is also studying abroad, spent last summer in London playing soccer so she was already involved on a team that practiced and played regularly. I had told Abby that I had an interest in soccer so she invited me to play with them. Before I knew it I was going weekly with her to practices and games.

Our team is comprised of very skilled soccer players mostly older than Abby and I. The average age is 25ish and the majorities are men. There are about 5 or so girls on the team when we all show up. Most of the time it is only Abby, Kat, Rachael and myself who attend practices.  My first time attending I didn’t know what to expect. Abby said we played on turf, so I don’t know why but for some reason I pictured an indoor field. Abby told me before hand that we played 6 v.6 typically which is loads of fun. In order to play 6 v.6 a smaller field is recommended unless you absolutely want to die! In order to attend practices we get to travel to what is known as suburbia. We have to take the tube all the way to Watford and then meet up with Tim who then drives us to practice. Watford is in zone 6 so it takes at least a good hour to get out there, so by the time we get home we are typically pretty exhausted. One of my favorite parts about going to soccer is riding in Tim’s car. It is so different and fun sitting and riding on the other side in the car. Once we get there we go through the club house out back into the pitches. There are many “mini” pitches to play in. We typically reserve to field for an hour. One of my favorite times playing so far was in the rain. It was fun getting all sweaty and completely muddy. I like getting to play with Abby because she really gets into it and we always play on opposite teams so that we can shove each other. Sounds mean, but it’s actually really fun to be aggressive but we know it’s all out of good fun.

From this experience I have met many friends. I have learned how “soccer” is played in London. I have really enjoyed getting to know Tim, Crosby, Simon and all the others we play with weekly. My soccer skills have improved and I can’t express how much fun it is to play competitive soccer with a group of people once again! Now I just have to pick a professional English team to support, wish me Luck!