Mentor Reflection

I attended my first summer camp when I was five years old. It was a local day camp, and I remember the charismatic energy that all my counselors had. I wanted to be a counselor and do my best to give to my campers as my counselors did to me. Before that, I went through a five-week leadership program at this camp. When I learned to lead, I participated in activities that taught me the skills that I needed to be an effective leader inside a classroom- patience, understanding, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. The unique experiences that I have that will bring diversity to the college of education are my understanding of mental health and the opportunities given to me in high school that allowed me to discover the career path that I am so passionate about.

Kids can be hesitant to open up, and the rate of diagnosed anxiety disorders is increasing. There is no doubt that as a teacher, there will be students in my class that deal with the same issues I did. My experiences have provided me with the ability to empathize with my students on this level. Not only will I understand how they are feeling, but my experiences have given me the capability to create a classroom environment that supports them. Avoiding long lectures and using break-out work in which students are able to work in groups or independently are beneficial strategies that I hope to put into practice. Structured time like this allows for students to help each other while also giving teachers and students the ability to work one-on-one. Not only is this an effective way comprehend new concepts, but allows students to ask questions that they are not comfortable bringing up in front of the