Teaching Experience:

        Lehigh Valley Summerbridge
 
 

   Lehigh Summerbridge is an organization designed for "At Risk Youth." The program offers academics, community service, electives, and activity clubs. The students who participate in this program have been selected from local Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton Area Junior High Schools.

                     Academics during the Summer:
 

     I have been a Teacher at Lehigh Valley Summerbridge for the past three summers. During this time I have been a Literature teacher for two summers and a Writing teacher for one. Each class taught has consisted of a self-constructed activity based curriculum. The protocal for material taught in Literature class is a book. I had selected Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry for the first summer, and George Orwell's Animal Farm for my second summer. Both books afforded intriguing discussions, deep investigations, essay writing, character synthesis, collaborative learning activities, and fun activities. The writing curriculum I devised consisted of the various steps in the writing process, creative writing, grammar, word choice, and the culminating project, the five-paragraph essay. Each academic class required at least one half-hour of homework per night. To display the work accomplished during this six-week program, each subject teacher amassed a portfolio displaying their best work.

              Community Service/ Service Learning: 
 
 

     In addition to the academic content of the program, the students also participated in community services. The community service projects included such activities as Community Theater, Gardening for a Soup Kitchen, Volunteering at a day care and nursing home, Singing for Nursing Homes, and volunteer work at the SPCA. During my first summer, I participated in the Community Theater Service Learning project. The following summer, my Core Team took part in the Gardening Service Learning project. This project was a rather difficult task due to the drought conditions during the entire program. When we could not reap the fruits of our gardening, the students and teachers volunteered at local Soup Kitchens. My final summer at Lehigh Valley Summerbridge consisted of volunteer work at the Northampton SPCA. Here the students provided the center with walking services, feeding the animals, and cleaning up after the dogs (this was named poop patrol by the students). Summerbridge supplemented the school week with this volunteer aspect to reinforce and highlight the responsibility all should take within the community.

                   Electives and Fun Activities:
 

     Summerbridge afforded its students not only academics, but also electives and fun enrichment activities. The electives were established within the Summerbridge school day to alleviate the stress and monotony of regular academics. The electives this summer varied from government to the SB newspaper and from dance to first aid. All of the students enjoyed this time to learn in a more relaxed setting. There was also a designated time of the day named"Clubs." This was time for a structured activity. Here the students engaged in events such as kickball, sidewalk chalk, nature hikes, art with papermache, and frisbee. Every Wednesday afternoon, the students were taken swimming at Moravian Academy Upper School, located on Green Pond Road.

                Summary:
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     The entire day at Summerbridge was structured for optimal learning and recreation. Prior to the start of the program, the teachers attended an orientation programfor a week. Teachers were acquainted with policies, emergency protocal, and informaed about the electives and Clubs they would be teaching. Each teacher on staff had a specific role in the program. I myself was a member of the administrative committee, overseeing all of the day to day activities of Summerbridge. This position was established to ensure communication between the faculty and Administrators. Each member of this committee headed an event for the program. This summer, I supervised and planned for the necessary art materials utlizied during the course of the program. The year prior, I was a member of the Advisory (disciplinary) Program. This ensured a trouble-free and smooth flowing day. Any student exhibiting behavioral or personal problems in class was sent to a designated classroom to solve the issue.

For further questions about Lehigh Valley Summerbridge, please contact their website at: http://www.lvsummerbridge.org/

Also check out the National Summerbridge Website: http://206.111.133.190/TASB/page8.htm
 
 

                      AmeriCorps:
 
 

     I joined this service organization in the summer of 1998. My term of community service extended over a two year period. An incentive to joining this organization was an education award. I received a scholarship worth approximately two thousand dollars. This money can only be used for further education, paying off loans, or the purchasing of school items. The specific type of service I committed to involved teaching and tutoring at risk youth from the Lehigh Valley. During the summer, I taught a core team of students (approximately 16 students per summer). In addition, I managed and taught an elective and organized an activity club. The school year presented an entirely different task. I was a "Tutoring Site Supervisor." The tutoring took place once a week on a predetermined day. This job entailed organizing the activities, lessons, placing tutors with students, and arranging field trips.

For more information about AmeriCorps, please review this website: http://www.americorps.org/
 

            Moravian Academy:
 
 

I served as an intern at Morvian Academy Upper School during the fall semester of my senior year at Lafayette College. Many tasks were accomplished while I was under the direction of Mr. Tom Schoneiger. He served as a mentor, guiding me through devising grading standards, allowing for the teaching of mini-lessons, and facilitating the restructure student writing. The experience at Moravian Academy reaped fruitful rewards and benefits. I was able to actualize the occupation of teaching for the first time. Teaching in a classroom, other than my experience at Lehigh Valley Summerbridge, inspired me to continue my education and pursue excellence in the education field.

For more information about Moravian Academy, please review the following website: http://www.moravian.k12.pa.us/