Laura's Daily Journal
Rollings Middle School of the Arts Internship - Fall 2015
September 8, 2015
My first day at RMSA was wonderful. As nervous as I was to start, I felt at ease very soon after arriving. Mrs. Davis, the media specialist and Mrs. Edwards, the media center assistant, made me feel very welcome and comfortable right away. The day started out very busy and remained that way all day. Students, faculty and staff were buzzing in and out almost constantly, making it a very interesting day... that flew by!
I quickly learned the basics of checking in and checking out books so that I could assist while Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Edwards were working with students in other areas of the library. Fortunately, Mrs. Davis was able to find several teachers who were willing to let me sit in and observe their classes starting with a first period class. I had the opportunity to observe three classes in different grades and different subjects, including Read 180, Social Studies and Handbells. After the classroom observations, I helped with re-shelving books. Mrs. Davis then provided me a copy of the district Library Materials Selection and Adoption guidelines to take a look at when there was finally a quiet moment. I was also able to discuss with her upcoming reading promotions/programs and ideas for booktalks. I also learned a bit about how the school morning show is produced from Mrs. Edwards. In between planned activities, I was able to interact with students, assist with checking in and checking out books, observe behavior management, and get a feel for the daily schedule.
My first day was a whirlwind, but fun and exciting. As someone who is used to working with elementary students (kindergartners, to be exact), it was wonderful to observe and interact with a whole new age group. Because RMSA is an arts-infused school, the students are there only because they tried out and were accepted. I think because of this, many students seem to be very enthusiastic and genuinely happy to be there. I also believe that the students at the school are likely very different from students in other (non-arts) schools. There were very few behavior issues to observe today, but I was able to get a feel for how teachers talk to students and vice versa. The classroom observations were very helpful in allowing me to see some of the content being taught, different teaching styles/strategies, interactions between students and teachers and student behavior. The hands-on activities that I was able to do in the library today were helpful in allowing me to learn about library procedures, become familiar with the library layout and comfortable with daily materials processing. Overall I feel that the day went well and that I am very lucky to be at such a great school.