by Rachel Long (senior)
The first day of school can be characterized by butterflies, nervous stutters, and nausea stomachs, and that was just the new Education interns. As the rest of East Carolina began another semester of classes in August, the senior education majors began their own adventure, student teaching. During the first semester of Senior I, all education majors spend approximately one full day every week in a classroom located in the Latham Clinical Network. The network includes the following school systems: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Clinton City, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Duplin, Edenton-Chowan, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash/Rocky Mount, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt, Roanoke Rapids, Sampson, Tyrrell, Washington, Weldon City, Wayne and Wilson. Besides their one day observation, they are also required to teach at least three lessons in their classroom over the course of the semester, as well as a variety of other observatory assignments including a classroom management plan, and thematic unit.
In January the interns will start spending every day in their classroom, as they prepare for their fifteen full days of instruction. Despite their hard work and long hours, these interns will walk across the stage on May 8, proud of their accomplishments at ECU, and prepared for their next adventure, teaching.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Junior Enrichment: Outward Bound
by Anthony Hingley (junior)
Each year, rising Teaching Fellows juniors choose an activity to do the summer preceding their junior year. They include options such as trips to Europe, working at the Special Olympics, or the one I chose, Outward Bound. The prices span a wide spectrum, and that had something to do with my decision to do an Outward Bound course. The course was described as a hiking/backpacking adventure, and it sounded like something that would challenge me. I was kind of dreading the trip to Asheville, but afterwards, looking back, I really enjoyed it and if I was given the chance, I would do it all over again.
The trip started with us arriving at the airport in Asheville, at which point we rode in a van to the place we would begin. We were provided with backpacks, sleeping bags, water bottles, and a bowl and spoon. We then took our clothes and other necessities out of our personal bags and placed them in our backpacks. We also had to divide up our meals for the week and our rock climbing gear, so by the time we put everything in there, the bags were not exactly the lightest things to carry. We started out, and the combination of following trails and bushwhacking using a map and compass led us to each of our sites for camping, where we set up tarps and layed our sleeping bags on the ground.
It was a very fun and informative trip, learning much about the wildlife in the mountains, finding out how to rock climb, and "roughing it." I would recommend it to anyone who is given the opportunity to try it, and as with many things, you get out of it what you put in, so keep an open mind no matter the situation.
Each year, rising Teaching Fellows juniors choose an activity to do the summer preceding their junior year. They include options such as trips to Europe, working at the Special Olympics, or the one I chose, Outward Bound. The prices span a wide spectrum, and that had something to do with my decision to do an Outward Bound course. The course was described as a hiking/backpacking adventure, and it sounded like something that would challenge me. I was kind of dreading the trip to Asheville, but afterwards, looking back, I really enjoyed it and if I was given the chance, I would do it all over again.
The trip started with us arriving at the airport in Asheville, at which point we rode in a van to the place we would begin. We were provided with backpacks, sleeping bags, water bottles, and a bowl and spoon. We then took our clothes and other necessities out of our personal bags and placed them in our backpacks. We also had to divide up our meals for the week and our rock climbing gear, so by the time we put everything in there, the bags were not exactly the lightest things to carry. We started out, and the combination of following trails and bushwhacking using a map and compass led us to each of our sites for camping, where we set up tarps and layed our sleeping bags on the ground.
It was a very fun and informative trip, learning much about the wildlife in the mountains, finding out how to rock climb, and "roughing it." I would recommend it to anyone who is given the opportunity to try it, and as with many things, you get out of it what you put in, so keep an open mind no matter the situation.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Senior Orientation in Perquimans County
by Tabitha Ballance (senior)
I arrived in Perquimans Country not knowing what to expect for the next week. All I knew is that I would get the opportunity to see how the school system worked. My reason for choosing this small system was that it was close to my home. It was also much smaller than the school system I went to school in so I wanted to be able to have a comparison. After I arrived at the School Board Office which was located beside the high school, I waited for the arrival of my contact. When she arrived, she gave me a schedule for the week. It was packed with an array of things to do including visiting the schools, attending a baseball game, meetings with people working in the school board building including the superintendent, and the opportunity to observe Teaching Fellows teaching in the classroom.
The first day I was very nervous; mostly because I had no clue what I was going to be doing. From the moment I entered the School Board Building, everyone was extremely friendly. This made my nervous relax. The agenda for my first day had me visiting the high school. As soon as I saw this I thought, uh oh. I am a Birth-K Major so needless to say high school is way out of my range. The principal was extremely nice. He was actually in a meeting with the Senior Class President. He invited me to listen in. The seniors were planning a senior trip. I thought this was excellent; we didn't get the opportunity to have one my senior year. The class president told me that it had been a while since the school allowed a senior class to go. She also told me she had done a lot to prepare. After the meeting I was given a short tour and then I was put into a Teaching Fellow alum's class to observe. She was an Agriculture teacher and told me that Agriculture is very popular in the school. It was fun to “be back in high school."
Over the next few days, I visited the other schools in the county. When I visited Hertford Grammar School, I got the opportunity to go on a field trip. I thought that was a very valuable experience because you got to see the chaos first hand. My favorite part of the week was visiting the K-2 school. Every classroom in that school is equipped with a Smart Board. In fact, the county has applied for numerous grants to allow their county to be so technologically advanced. They hope in the next few years to have Smart Boards in every classroom in the county. The teachers loved teaching using the Smart Board and the students loved learning as a result of it. All of the teachers I observed at the K-2 school were hands on and energetic. My only regret was that I did not have a chance to meet with this principal. Another great thing I got to do during my week was a attending a meeting for first-year teachers. It was great to see how much support the entire county gave to teachers in their first three years.
I must honestly say that Senior Orientation was a week I was dreading. The last thing I wanted to do was spend a week of my summer in schools all day. The opportunity turned out to be a great one. If you did not attend a small school system, I would defintely recommend that you visit one for Senior Orientation. Although I am not planning on teaching in this county it was still great to see its inner workings and learn what they are doing to educate the children of their county.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
ECU Marching Pirates: High School Band Day
by Jaron Cox (sophomore)
The ECU Marching Pirates is the most visible ensemble that is associated with the
This year’s ECU Band Day took place on September 27, at the ECU vs.
Many of the high school students were on a college field for their very first time. This event helps give the students confidence and the drive to want to continue to play when they leave high school and go to college. The main purpose is to keep students interested in music and to continue to use their gifts in college, whether it be majoring or minoring in music or just playing in ensembles for the fun of it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Welcome to 2008-2009!
Photos by Mallory Mitchell (senior) and Marina Bonner (senior)
After a brief break to begin the fall semester, the East Carolina University Teaching Fellows & Maynard Scholars blog is back up and running! Expect updates every Wednesday morning covering a wide range of our activities as Teaching Fellows, Maynard Scholars, education students, and ECU Pirates!
Regular updates will begin next Wednesday, but here's a few snapshots of what you can expect to see written about over the next few weeks.
ECU Teaching Fellows & Maynard Scholars eagerly await the presentation of Paul Cuadros, author of A Home on the Field and speaker at this year's Dean Leadership Seminar.
The ECU Marching Pirates, boasting several Teaching Fellows and Maynard Scholars, performs at a home football game.
After a brief break to begin the fall semester, the East Carolina University Teaching Fellows & Maynard Scholars blog is back up and running! Expect updates every Wednesday morning covering a wide range of our activities as Teaching Fellows, Maynard Scholars, education students, and ECU Pirates!
Regular updates will begin next Wednesday, but here's a few snapshots of what you can expect to see written about over the next few weeks.
ECU Teaching Fellows & Maynard Scholars eagerly await the presentation of Paul Cuadros, author of A Home on the Field and speaker at this year's Dean Leadership Seminar.
The ECU Marching Pirates, boasting several Teaching Fellows and Maynard Scholars, performs at a home football game.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Studying Abroad in Finland, Part II
by Ashley Upchurch (rising senior)
Two months post-Finland and I’m just now realizing the reality of it all. I’m somewhere in the middle of risk-taker and couch potato; I’ll jump off a 30 foot waterfall, but the high ropes course scares me to death. So, Finland was a pretty big step for me and throughout the entire semester I would periodically pinch myself to see if I really was dreaming. I realize now that I did actually fly 3000 miles across the ocean and lived on my own for the first time, not to mention on my own in a foreign country. That’s the reality of my past five months. But, another reality has begun slowly to appear. I am behind by a full semester on course work.
I’m quite convinced that there are more detailed instructions on how to retrieve credits from a semester abroad than there are on a car engine assembly line. I’ve got four people currently working on getting my credits from Finland and I’ve personally talked to three of them on a pretty regular basis for the past two weeks. There was so much I could have done before leaving for Finland that would have made this whole experience a lot less difficult. But, being the procrastinator I am, I didn’t even decide to actually go abroad until about 3 weeks before my plane left. Needless to say, I was pretty unprepared and it showed when I returned to ECU short 18 hours. I highly recommend following instructions, planning ahead, and talking to your advisor and the International House as much as possible before you study abroad!
All the same, there’s nothing I’d trade for this trip abroad. I’ll definitely take all the headaches associated with it now. I couldn’t have asked for a better college experience than the one I found in Finland. From learning new ways to be a better educator to meeting amazing people I’ll never forget, Finland was worth all the paperwork and last minute deadlines.
Two months post-Finland and I’m just now realizing the reality of it all. I’m somewhere in the middle of risk-taker and couch potato; I’ll jump off a 30 foot waterfall, but the high ropes course scares me to death. So, Finland was a pretty big step for me and throughout the entire semester I would periodically pinch myself to see if I really was dreaming. I realize now that I did actually fly 3000 miles across the ocean and lived on my own for the first time, not to mention on my own in a foreign country. That’s the reality of my past five months. But, another reality has begun slowly to appear. I am behind by a full semester on course work.
I’m quite convinced that there are more detailed instructions on how to retrieve credits from a semester abroad than there are on a car engine assembly line. I’ve got four people currently working on getting my credits from Finland and I’ve personally talked to three of them on a pretty regular basis for the past two weeks. There was so much I could have done before leaving for Finland that would have made this whole experience a lot less difficult. But, being the procrastinator I am, I didn’t even decide to actually go abroad until about 3 weeks before my plane left. Needless to say, I was pretty unprepared and it showed when I returned to ECU short 18 hours. I highly recommend following instructions, planning ahead, and talking to your advisor and the International House as much as possible before you study abroad!
All the same, there’s nothing I’d trade for this trip abroad. I’ll definitely take all the headaches associated with it now. I couldn’t have asked for a better college experience than the one I found in Finland. From learning new ways to be a better educator to meeting amazing people I’ll never forget, Finland was worth all the paperwork and last minute deadlines.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Studying Abroad in Finland, Part I
by Ashley Upchurch (rising senior)
A year ago around this time, I was racing through Speight, the education building, trying to get ready to study abroad. At the time, I was too busy worrying over paperwork to stress about actually spending a semester in another country. Three months later, my paperwork was filled out and all I had to do was stop having nightmares about freak plane accidents or ending up in Siberia instead of Finland.
My fears were both sound and outrageous. First of all, who ever heard of a plane suddenly falling out of the sky, all its passengers dead upon impact in the Atlantic Ocean? Then again, how on earth does a giant piece of metal soar through the sky? Hadn’t anyone ever heard of gravity??? My anxiety didn’t end with the plane ride alone: I was going to Finland to live alone for my first time so far from home that it would take three trips across the US and back just to get there.
Finland, in my mind, was barren tundra full of man-eating moose and little to no civilization. Obviously, I was exaggerating: I knew moose didn’t typically eat people and if there was a place for me to study in Finland, there must be some people around. All the same, come July when everyone was pestering me over my plans the next semester, I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember why I’d chosen Finland of all places!
Brandi, the assistant director of International Relations at ECU, had somehow brainwashed me into thinking one of the northern most countries in the world where the average temperature doesn’t go above 55 (I have a deep and passionate dislike for cold weather, by the way) was a great place to study. She explained how she’d spent so much time there and personally attested to its beauty and enjoyable nature. She explained all of this to me that December. Seven months later, I was boarding a plane and still questioning both of our decision-making abilities. Little did I know that just a week after getting on that cramped plane in the RDU airport, I would find myself enjoying the best food I’d ever tasted, experiencing life as I’d never known possible, and meeting more interesting people than I could have ever before claimed!
A year ago around this time, I was racing through Speight, the education building, trying to get ready to study abroad. At the time, I was too busy worrying over paperwork to stress about actually spending a semester in another country. Three months later, my paperwork was filled out and all I had to do was stop having nightmares about freak plane accidents or ending up in Siberia instead of Finland.
My fears were both sound and outrageous. First of all, who ever heard of a plane suddenly falling out of the sky, all its passengers dead upon impact in the Atlantic Ocean? Then again, how on earth does a giant piece of metal soar through the sky? Hadn’t anyone ever heard of gravity??? My anxiety didn’t end with the plane ride alone: I was going to Finland to live alone for my first time so far from home that it would take three trips across the US and back just to get there.
Finland, in my mind, was barren tundra full of man-eating moose and little to no civilization. Obviously, I was exaggerating: I knew moose didn’t typically eat people and if there was a place for me to study in Finland, there must be some people around. All the same, come July when everyone was pestering me over my plans the next semester, I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember why I’d chosen Finland of all places!
Brandi, the assistant director of International Relations at ECU, had somehow brainwashed me into thinking one of the northern most countries in the world where the average temperature doesn’t go above 55 (I have a deep and passionate dislike for cold weather, by the way) was a great place to study. She explained how she’d spent so much time there and personally attested to its beauty and enjoyable nature. She explained all of this to me that December. Seven months later, I was boarding a plane and still questioning both of our decision-making abilities. Little did I know that just a week after getting on that cramped plane in the RDU airport, I would find myself enjoying the best food I’d ever tasted, experiencing life as I’d never known possible, and meeting more interesting people than I could have ever before claimed!
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