During the fall semester, I completed my field experience at Brookdale Elementary School in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

I was assigned to Ms. Johnsons third grade Mathematics and Science class. Throughout my field experience, I do believe that I have grown professionally in more ways than one. I believe that my growth is evident to me when I reflect on Claflin Universitys School of Education conceptual framework. The conceptual framework is teacher as a leader, teacher as a moral service provider, and teacher as a reflective practitioner. In these three areas, I have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a teacher. As a leader in my field experience classroom, I have been able to teach a lesson to the children. I had to prepare a lesson and make sure that I was knowledgeable about the subject I taught. Compared to the previous levels of field experience, I have been more involved in the classroom and with the students learning. Ms. Johnson has allowed me to work with small groups of students who were having difficulty mastering the standard. By working with small groups of students, I learned how to differentiate instruction that Ms. Johnson had given the class, so that they will understand. I also helped with assessing students and classroom management. This field experience assignment has definitely exposed me to more of the planning aspect of the teaching career. As a moral service provider, I have had plenty of opportunities to encourage my students and to demonstrate proper behavior. These opportunities have allowed me to learn how to relate to students and help them to know right from wrong. The students in the class looked to me as a role model, so I had to make sure I exemplified certain characteristics that I wanted to have as well. I have always been told that teachers have a huge influence on a childs attitude and day. The field experience for this specific class has definitely opened my eyes to the power behind being a teacher. On certain days, I would notice how a child may be sad or having a rough day. I

found moments like these to be the perfect opportunity to motivate and encourage the student. The experiences I have encountered within this particular class at Brookdale Elementary have definitely helped me to grow professionally as a moral service provider. As a reflective practitioner, I have been able to reflect on the interactions I have had with the students as well as reflect on the lesson that I taught them. Even though I did not teach many lessons to the class, the one lesson that I did teach showed me the importance of evaluating how the lesson was executed. I took into account the students who had difficulty mastering the content and thought of different ways that I could present the information to them so that they will have a deeper understanding. Working with Ms. Johnson, I graded some of the students assessments. We discussed the results of the assessments and brainstormed ideas to reteach the lesson for those students who did not understand. While in the classroom, I examined the classroom environment and saw how the environment can have an influence on students behavior. I have learned that it is important to understand the interests and backgrounds of your students when creating the classroom environment and planning lessons. Overall, I do believe that I have grown professionally through this field experience assignment. I have become more aware of the many responsibilities a teacher will have. Planning plays a huge role in instruction as well as classroom environment. This field experience has had a powerful influence in my preparation to becoming a teacher.