Teaching Experiences 

My teaching journey with the Wild Wanderers program has been transformative, working with 2nd grade students from Adams, Chavez and Oakridge Elementary Schools over the duration of nine weeks. One of my most meaningful experiences was embodying the Steller's Jay, one of our focal species, which naturally connected to my name and created an instant bond with students. The children loved calling me "Mr. Steller," and our attention-getting call-and-response where I'd say "Steller's" and they'd enthusiastically yell "Jay!" became a powerful class management tool that the kids absolutely adored. Seeing actual Steller's Jays during our Mount Pisgah field trips made this connection even more magical.

Throughout this program, I've developed crucial quick-thinking and adaptability skills while learning to let students' natural curiosity guide our explorations. My greatest strengths emerged in building individual relationships by learning and using student names, moving around the classroom during discussions, and incorporating multicultural elements like other languages and interactive movements such as "fox feet to the rug." The integration of storytelling, sign language during story time, and attention-getters like "Shark bait. Oh ah ah" kept students consistently engaged across varying group sizes, from intimate groups of 4-6 students to larger classes of 20.

Field trips became my specialty, particularly facilitating sit spots where students could quietly observe nature and reflect on their experiences. I discovered the power of repetition through medallion quizzes and consistently reinforcing key vocabulary terms. My storytelling abilities shone during these outdoor experiences, and I learned to adapt effectively to unexpected situations and "curveballs" that naturally arise when working with young children in outdoor environments.

Areas for growth included improving my vocal projection, especially during outdoor instruction, and providing more explicit positive reinforcement for student responses. Early feedback helped me realize I needed to comment on each student contribution with specific praise like "wow, that's a great observation" rather than quickly moving to the next person. I also worked on giving clearer activity instructions and time parameters, such as "for 3 minutes we are writing observations."

My final field trip was particularly special - collaborating with one of my 2nd grade partners, we observed the most wildlife species because students had mastered "fox feet" (quiet walking). We spotted Pacific wrens, alligator lizards, deer, Steller's jays, snakes, and heard woodpeckers and red-breasted sapsuckers. Students even learned to identify birds by their calls, and remarkably, no one encountered poison oak! This bittersweet ending demonstrated how far both the students and I had grown in our environmental education journey, embodying the stewardship and nature connection that defines the Wild Wanderers program.

Teaching Evaluations

Participation in the Environmental Leadership Program Wild Wanderers 2nd grade team provided me feedback from peer observers, supervising teachers, our project manager, and project director. This presented me with strengths, things I have done well and should continue to do, as well as areas of improvement I have used to reflect on how I can improve to create the best possible experience for students.

A key theme that arose in observational feedback was my effectiveness in building individual relationships with students by asking names before answers and using them once known. Early into the ten-week teaching odyssey, I received comments that I should consistently ask for student names when calling on them. Now, when I call on a student to share, I make sure to ask their name, and eventually call on them by name throughout the lesson. Taking this feedback into account has helped build rapport with students and make them feel seen as individuals. Moreover, my practice of moving around the classroom during discussions rather than remaining stationary was consistently praised by observers as an effective way to create personal connections with each student. Based on the feedback I have received, I know to continue this practice as it aligns with my teaching philosophy of creating inclusive learning environments.

Another theme that arose in my teaching feedback was my successful integration of multicultural elements and multimodal teaching strategies. Observers consistently noted how my incorporation of "other languages" and the integration of a "Swahili song" brought cultural richness to lessons and engaged diverse learners effectively. My use of movement-based instructions like "fox feet to rug" and attention-getting strategies such as "Shark bait. Oh ah ah" were specifically praised for keeping students engaged while accommodating different learning styles. Colleagues noted that making kids do sign language during story time was particularly effective for engaging kinesthetic learners. I can continue to improve this practice by expanding my repertoire of culturally responsive teaching techniques and ensuring that these multimodal approaches are consistently integrated rather than sporadic.

I have received feedback to work on my volume and vocal projection, particularly during outdoor instruction. Multiple peer observers noted that my "volume could be louder" during instruction, though they acknowledged the strategic value of quieter tones during storytelling. Using this constructive criticism, I have worked to better my teaching by finding the right balance between commanding attention with appropriate volume while maintaining the intimate storytelling atmosphere that keeps students engaged. I started practicing vocal modulation techniques to ensure all students can hear instructions clearly, especially in outdoor settings with ambient noise.

A consistent area for improvement identified by colleagues was my need to provide more explicit positive reinforcement when students share responses. Peers recommended that I "comment on each answer they give" with responses like "wow, that's a great observation" to validate student contributions more explicitly. Drawing personal connections or stories out by asking lots of questions and engaging student answers has been a productive practice, according to observational feedback. I can continue to improve this practice by not only engaging with responses, but also working to make sure every student feels appreciated by always acknowledging them with specific positive feedback and not quickly moving to the next person. I will continue to ask for connections in lessons to bring in personal stories which I can then engage with further, not only to help students make links to the curriculum, but to make sure they all feel valued and heard.

The feedback I received regarding my ability to handle unexpected situations and adapt to varying group sizes was consistently positive throughout the program. Colleagues noted my success in managing "curveballs" during field experiences and adapting effectively from intimate groups of 5-6 students to larger classes of 20 while maintaining engagement and educational objectives. This adaptive teaching ability, combined with my consistent use of repetition for concept reinforcement through medallions and sit spots, was recognized as a core strength that I should continue to develop and leverage in future teaching contexts.

Based on all the peer evaluation feedback, I have learned that my strengths in cultural responsiveness, relationship-building, and adaptive teaching provide a strong foundation for effective environmental education, while specific technical skills in vocal projection, positive reinforcement, and instructional clarity represent clear areas for continued professional development that will enhance my already strong student engagement abilities.