5/19/2019 summation - Google Docs

RFIS Summation
For the past few months, I have been fortunate enough to intern at Reading-Fleming
Intermediate School in Flemington, New Jersey. I was able to intern for Daniel Shirvanian,
fifth-grade social studies and math teacher and Tina Reed, the librarian at RFIS. I would start
off my internship by spending time in the library with Ms. Reed then go to Mr. Shirvanians
class. I was able to sit on two of Mr. Shirvanian classes, both social studies for fifth-grade.
Each class had roughly 20 students in it including a few ESL students. In his one class with
the three ESL students, there was an ESL teacher in the room. From October 25th through
December 14th, I was at RFIS for a total of 16 hours. I was unable to attend my internship a
few times due to weather and people parent-teacher conferences.
The school was originally built in 1853 with the money from Daniel Kennedy
Reading, a great-great-grandson of the Governor of New Jersey. In 1875, the original
building was expanded but was later damaged by a fire. The school was rebuilt and is now
Reading-Fleming Intermediate School. When I first walked into the school, I noticed that it
has not changed since I went there as a student. Although the school is lacking in air
conditioning, the teachers make up for the environment of the school. The first part of my
day at RFIS is spent in the library with Mrs. Reed. The library has a good amount of natural
light and is very well lit. All the materials such as books, magazines, and more are very
organized and well kept. After I finish at the library, I attend Mr. Shirvanians classroom. His
room is very well lit with natural light as well as the ceiling lights. He has students work
hanging up in the classroom as wells as maps, posters, and more. All the materials the
students might need are made available by being on counter tops, desks, and more.
After signing into the school, I would walk to the library where I would help Mrs.
Reed, the librarians with anything she wants. In the beginning, I would monitor the children
during expressions. During this time, the students would sit quietly at the tables and read a
book or magazine. Later on in my internship, I would log books on paper and organize the
shelves. I documented these books in my last few weeks of internship. As I was doing this,
Mrs. Reed was instructing the students during d.e.a.r. When expressions ended, I walked to
Mr. Shirvanians room. In the very beginning of the internship, I would observe his class and
take notes. When the students were working individually I was able to talk to Mr. Shirvanian
and ask him questions about teaching. Mr. Shirvanian started to make me more active in the
classroom by first having me help students, pass out assignments and more. He also had me
write directions for an assignment for the following unit, travelers. On my last day of
internship, I was able to check on the students, ask questions, answer any questions the
students have, and make sure they stayed focused.
The students had just finished their unit on the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations
a were starting their unit on travelers. Mr. Shirvanian started off the lesson by explaining
why travelers would only travel a certain distance and then turn around. He explained that
they were afraid and did not know what was out there. Mr. Shirvanian then talked about

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5/19/2019 summation - Google Docs

some explorers such as Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus and the routes they took and
what they discovered. When he was finished talking about travelers, I explained the chart
they would be filling out. The students must find two explorers from two different empires
and do research on them. The students are given six questions to help guide them when
researching their explorers. Once the chart is completed, the students will then conference
with Mr. Shirvanian and choose one explorer. The goal of this assignment was to prepare
them for the following project, a Skype call with another class about other explorers. The
students will get in groups with the same explorers, gather information, and then dress up
and set a background on the green screen as their explorer. The group will then skype call
another class and answer and ask questions about their explorer and other explorers. I was
able to explain the activity and answer any questions the students had.
I really enjoyed my internship at reading-fleming Intermediate School. Everyone I
met there was very approachable and welcoming. Mrs. Reed and Mr. Shirvanian answered
all of my questions and wanted to know more about me. Both of them gave advice on
teaching and in college by sharing their experiences. Mr. Shirvanian made his history class
engaging by using real-life situations and technology. I learned that there are many ways t
engage the students in the lesson and by knowing my students and what their interests are, I
can use that information in a lesson. Mr. Shirvanian also included mindfulness in his
classroom which is something more teachers are doing today. Mrs.Reed continually showed
me how she kept the students focused while reading during expressions. She walked around
the tables and if she saw they were getting distracted she would immediately redirect them
and keep them on track.

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