My Classroom Experiences

University of Mary Practicum Experiences: 

January 2025- May 2025: Student teaching-- Bismarck Early Childhood Program

Teacher: Sara Johnston

• Observed Sara's classroom and served the resource minutes on their IEPs under her supervision

• Opened my own classroom as the teacher on record and had a caseload of nine three-year-olds who had just received their IEPs

• Learned how to use programs such as Tienet, PowerSchool, and DocuLOK 

• Learned how to manage paraprofessionals under me 

• Collaborated with other teachers on student programming

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August 2024- December 2024: Horizon Middle School ID classroom (360+ hrs.)

Teachers: Christina Bruggman & Bailey Walters

• Worked as a paraprofessional working one-on-one with students, as well as small group lessons

• Learned life as an aide and how to support my future aides best ​

• Saw different types of online resources for teaching students

• Taught one-on-one lessons almost daily to students who spent the majority of their time in the resource room

• Became a UAP and learned how to hook up and unhook food to and from a G-Tube, as well as give my student a water bolus

• Attended PLC and paraprofessional meetings​

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February 2024- April 2024: Mandan Middle School ID classroom (45 hrs.)

Teacher: Santana Schneider 

• Went to a plethora of meetings, from IEP meetings, as at-risk meetings, PLCs, among others. 

• Saw the wide range of students that fall under the category "intellectual disability"

• Learned the importance of relationships with students and coworkers, as I have seen places  

• After being a Simle, I saw the difference between block schedules and period schedules

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January 2024- February 2024: Simle Middle School ED classroom (15 hrs.)

Teacher: Angela Nagel 

• ​Worked with students with diagnoses of emotional disturbance and anxiety

• Witnessed teacher problem solving, as Mrs. Nagel was in the process of changing classroom protocols 

• Saw behavior management and witnessed student progress

• Spent a lot of time working one-on-one with students on "late-work" 

• Listened to students' life stories with a kind ear

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September 2023- December 2023: Silver Ranch Elementary School LD classroom (45 hrs.)

Teacher: Kylie Beiswenger 

• Sat in my first IEP meeting

• First time in a special education classroom for more than a few hours

• Saw how to work with students with learning disabilities with programs such as UFLI and Amira 

• Witnessed a kindergartener with special needs transfer in and what that process looks like

• Watched a student get re-evaluated and dismissed from special education services

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January 2023- April 2023: Roosevelt Elementary School (Bismarck) Title I (30 hrs.)

Teacher: Emily Flach

• First time in a public-school setting

• Witnessed push-in methods and small group rotations

• Saw MTSS data and how teachers discuss how to move forward

• Was able to see interesting teacher started programs that promote inclusion

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Other Additional Experience:

July 2023: Conant Middle-High School ESY 

September 2023- April 2024: St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers Babysitter

January 2024- May 2024: St. Anne School Kids' Club

June 2024- August 2024: The Well School Summer Camp​