HCSD Preschool
This week was my first time mentoring, and although I only mentored two days, it already has been so much fun. Before I officially started, though, I met with the two teachers that will be my mentors on Monday in their classrooms. I learned some of the ground rules for their classes, and it was a nice practice run for driving there and making sure I know where I am going. My first days at the Hilliard Preschool were a little chaotic, because although I am older than the students there, I do not really know how their classes operate. Some of them would ask me questions that I did not know the answer to, but they probably do not realize that I am new and they actually know more about their class than I do. Outside of my mentor site, we have been discussing social media in our mentorship class. Most schools/teachers use social media to share what their class is doing with the parents of their students or with other teachers. I think social media is a useful tool for businesses/professionals to share what their goals are and how they are working to meet them. I also think that social media is a great way to share personal events and achievements with friends and family, as well as being a way for individuals to find other professionals and make connections with others in their field. If I had the ability to get rid of social media, I would not. It allows companies and individuals alike to connect with others on a professional or personal level, and is an amazing resource so long as it is used properly.
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During the past week, I have emailed two teachers at the Hilliard Preschool, and they have agreed to mentor me in their classrooms! I will be sitting in on their afternoon classes, which run from 1:00 to 3:30, Tuesday through Friday. We have scheduled a meeting on Monday for me and my program coordinator to meet with them to further discuss what the Career Mentorship Program entails. Throughout the course of the program so far, I have learned so many valuable skills for success in the professional world that otherwise I never would have learned how to do. One of the first things we did in the program was learn how to write a cover letter when applying for a position and address it to the right person. Another thing we learned how to do was create a strong résumé to showcase ourselves and our accomplishments. I have also learned how to communicate with other professionals and represent myself well, even though we are not meeting in person. For example, I learned how to make professional phone calls when calling the two independent labs and the American Red Cross as I explained in my first post. In addition, I learned how to compose professional emails and attach my cover letter when contacting the professors at Columbus State, which I described in my second post. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to participate in this program, and I am excited to start mentoring in the preschool classrooms this week! I am sad to report that I still have had no luck in finding a place that will allow me to mentor someone in their lab. As a result, I have been brainstorming other fields that I may be interested in learning more about. While medical laboratory science is my first choice for a career to gain experience in, there are other paths that I could also see myself enjoying, and I think would be worthwhile to explore those areas as well. My second choice for a career is early childhood education. If I were to explore this path, I would want to spend time in a preschool classroom and learn how to teach students at such a young age. I have always loved working with young children, and I already have some experience in working with preschoolers through my time volunteering at St. Brendan’s Vacation Bible School. Another idea for me would be to spend time with the biology teachers in my high school building. Biology is my favorite science course that I have taken, I remember loving almost every topic we studied in that class. If I cannot visit a real lab, I would still enjoy learning about that material and how to teach it to other students. Despite the fact that the direction of my path is changing and will be different from what I had initially hoped, I am still optimistic and keeping an open mind for new experiences that I had never considered before. I still do not have a mentor for this semester yet, but I have not given up searching for one. Since I have been unable to find a mentor from a professional lab, I have started contacting professors at Columbus State Community College to see if I could mentor with them in the lab they use for their students. I am already registered as a student there as a part of the College Jumpstart Program, which is also offered through the McVey Innovative Learning Center. I emailed one professor at first, but unfortunately she said she would be unable to provide me with an accurate reflection of the field of medical laboratory science. I then emailed the program coordinator of that field, but I have not heard anything back. In the meantime, I have been productive in using my extra time to get other work done. When I am not calling labs or emailing professors, I have been studying and even getting ahead on work in some classes so that when I do start mentoring I will not have a lot on my plate to do all at once. I feel that I am good at managing my time, as when I have free time I prioritize school work over watching movies or playing games. Although I am still searching for a mentor and I have yet to find a placement, I know that once I find one and get settled in I will still gain valuable experience in that field, even if it is a little later than I had hoped. |
AuthorA high school senior exploring the field of early childhood education. Archives
December 2018
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