Community Service Reflection
Sara Craig
Working with children is one of the most rewarding things a person can do. I have
worked with children in many aspects. I babysat, helped kindergarten through seventh grade in
4-H, helped my aunt at her preschool, worked at a daycare, and most recently I am student
teaching at the Fishback Preschool Center on South Dakota State University campus. At the
Fishback Center, I am currently in the toddler lab. I work with toddlers from two years old to just
over three years. Last semester, I assisted in the three to four-year-old lab.
When I was an assistant teacher, I supported the student teachers with anything they
needed. Typically, I would walk around the classroom and interact with the children asking
questions to foster deeper thought about an activity. I also worked on problem-solving when the
children had any issues with other peers or their emotions. I benefited from this because I was
able to work with the children while also being introduced to new concepts in our class, such as
the inquiry investigation cycle. I was able to learn about it in class, see how it was implemented,
and this semester I get to participate in an inquiry investigation cycle as the teacher.
This semester I am teaching toddlers rather than assisting. This entails lesson planning for
two different age groups of children because we see one group on Mondays and Wednesdays,
and the other group of Tuesdays and Thursdays. An activity that may be developmentally
appropriate for the older toddlers may not work for the younger toddlers and I must figure out a
way to adjust it to fit all children’s needs. This will help me be an effective teacher because all
children will be at different stages of learning when they come into the classroom and the lessons
must be adjusted to fit their needs and how they learn.
Lesson planning requires organization but also the ability to be flexible. An idea may
seem to be the perfect activity on paper, but the children may not enjoy it, or something does not
work the way it was planned. For example, I was tasked with finding an activity that the children
could do at the art table. I found many items that children could use to glue onto paper to
strengthen their fine motor skills and talk about colors. The problem was however the glue stick
would not hold all the objects I chose down, so I had to adjust my lesson plan. I then chose to put
white glue in a cup that they could apply to their paper with a paint brush.
Another mentality that has changed since I have been student teaching is my thoughts
about children making messes. I used to believe that everything had its place and they needed to
remain in their areas but now I know that children are using all things to explore their
environment. The first week of school we had a sensory bin with corn in, the children would take
the tractors from the farm area and drive them around in the corn. I chose to let them continue to
explore how the tractors’ mobility it hindered by the corn, instead of having the children put the
tractors in their respective area.
I also learned that any time spent with the children is beneficial. Many children upon first
coming to the preschool are very shy and withdrawn. Spending time with each child helps them
feel safe around us and allows us as teachers to benefit them better because we are beginning to
know them and their likes and dislikes. When the children become more comfortable around us,
they begin talking more frequently and asking more questions. Children feeling comfortable and
safe around us is important, but it does not happen overnight. It takes time and effort and putting
in the effort means children will learn much easier and have more fun.
All these things will make me a better teacher throughout my career. I am looking
forward to all the other skills I can learn to help my children have the best education they can.
All children should feel supported and cared for as well which comes with getting to know them
and spending time with them.
