Title: Sugar Creek Bible Camp Date: Summer 2010, 2012 Artifact Description: This artifact is my experience as a counselor

at Sugar Creek Bible Camp. ALIGNMENT Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment: This artifact best aligns with Standard Five of the Wisconsin Teacher Development and Licensure Standards which states: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. This experience best aligns with standard five because during the summers of 2010 and 2012, I worked as a counselor at Sugar Creek Bible Camp (SCBC) and was in charge of the education of a different group of children every week. I worked as a counselor as part of our day camp program, in which a team of counselors would be hired by community churches who support SCBC to deliver a Vacation Bible School program as a means of recruitment for SCBC. Counselors would work together to team teach the same lessons to the children as a whole while giving personalized attention to their own small group that was divided by age. In my case, I often worked with the youngest campers who ranged from Kindergarten to second grade. In some cases, I would work with the older children who were students as old as sixth grade. It was my responsibility during my small group time to develop and deliver a lesson plan to students based on the topics we were given by SCBC. Many times, students did not know each other, and we often had to use ice breakers to get the children more comfortable with each other. This form of positive interaction helped the students become more comfortable with engaging in classroom discussion and learning, as well as give them more incentive to volunteer for different activities such as praying before meals or in worship. I am very passionate about being at my students level, so I would often sit with them at the table or on the floor during classroom time to be more approachable, making the students more comfortable with me, a person who they had never seen before that week. It was a very successful way of teaching, and it was instrumental in developing interactions that made learning more significant for the entire class. I encouraged my students to develop self-motivation by pushing them to participate in classroom activities. Eventually, the students would volunteer themselves to lead activities or help with set ups around the classroom. My students would become just as much of a leader as I was within the classroom, and helped their classmates to learn as well. UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Statement Alignment: This artifact best aligns with KS2.b which states, The candidate can create a classroom environment that establishes and maintains high expectations for all students to value content of course work, take pride in work by initiating improvements, and help peers. While day camps never had any real course work, I did take particular pride in making sure that the students were motivated to learn more about their faith. By making my classroom a safe and welcoming environment, students were able to talk freely about their fair with me and with one another. I expected that each child would participate in activities whether it was a game or a reading without the need for motivation, but I did encourage students if needed. I often had my small groups do partner work so that the students could explain to one another the topics in front of them. Secondary Alignment: KSD2.c: Managing Classroom Procedures KSD3.c: Engaging Students in Learning

REFLECTION What I learned about teaching/learning: I learned that students need to be comfortable in their learning environment to be successful learners. I made it my goal to make sure that my students were as comfortable as possible, but in some cases, students didnt always branch out. I learned that some students need a different kind of attention, but that most students are willing to help the students that are struggling, thus making the classroom an even more welcoming environment. I learned that students are just as instrumental as I am in making a classroom a comfortable place to succeed.

What I learned about myself as a prospective educator: As a prospective educator, I need to perfect the tools needed to make my classroom a safe place for all students, regardless of background. I need to make sure that every student has the ability to be successful in a way that is helpful to both the student and the other students in the room. I need to maintain a positive workspace that motivates students to do their best on all work.