Sam McIntyre ’21, Gabe Crosby ’22, and Kelsie Jardine ’20 recently presented to a room full of elementary education teachers, preservice teachers and curriculum directors at the Maine Science Teachers Associate Conference.
The three students presented about their experience working with RSU 18 middle school students this past semester. Sam, Gabe, and Kelsie talked about their process of going from student to teacher and the four lessons they crafted and delivered.
“It was nerve-racking because it was the first conference we presented at without Dr. Cook,” said Sam, an elementary education major. “The hour-long session was run and planned entirely by the three of us so it was more pressure. I am so proud to have done it because one of the middle school teachers that attended our session told us that she planned to use our teacher guide and lesson plans with her students which is a major compliment.”
Sam is a first-year student and this was the third conference she’s presented at – already.
Gabe, also an elementary education student, really enjoyed working on a STEAM project with the RSU 18 students.
“As a freshman, it felt like a really daunting task to actually start teaching my second semester at Thomas. However, I believe that it was super beneficial, and gave us a great head start and better idea of what our futures are going to be all about.”
“The conference was really just the cherry on top. It was awesome to share our student’s hard work, and was fun to take pride in our own work as well. It’s most gratifying when a teacher tells a group of pre-service teachers that she wants to use our lesson in her own classroom.
This was Gabe’s third conference he’s been involved with also – but the first time they had their own section.
“I had never expected to be this involved in the program, to be teaching by my second semester on campus, or to already be making a difference in my field. The opportunities that the professors give you in the education department are really incredible, and they are always looking for ways for their students to stand out,” said Gabe.
Kelsie, a secondary education Mathematics major, said she loves the hands-on experiences she’d had while studying education at Thomas College.
“It’s one thing to learn about how to teach through books and lessons, it’s a whole other thing to figure out how to teach through practice and experience. Luckily for me, the education program at Thomas allows me to experience teaching from the very beginning,” said Kelsie.
“I never thought coming into Thomas that I would get to present at conferences. Getting this type of exposure is so important to me because it allows me to network but is also an exceptional platform to receive feedback and constructive criticism on how I can improve myself for my future students.”
Kelsie says a big reason they’ve been able to present so much is their professor Dr. Kate Cook Whitt.
“I would like to make sure Dr. Cook gets a lot of credit, she encouraged us to apply for this conference and never ceases to amaze me with how dedicated she is to our class and helps us in any way that she can!”