BLOG #1: site visit/meet & greet
Trying to obtain an internship has not been easy! Today I got the opportunity to visit Juarez-Lincoln Elementary for an interview. I got to look around, meet the staff, meet some kids. Although this was just an interview I am hoping it will work out. While I was visiting I had the opportunity to speak with the principle and ask her questions about Juarez-Lincoln and what an average school day looked like, here are some of her answers.
1. What is a typical workday look like?
Well most days I am very interactive with students, staff, or anyone else. I come in early and try to get some quite time. Once the day starts I'm in and out of the office, working with students, working with staff, and anything that comes up.
2. What are your main duties and responsibilities?
Well as a principle, of course I check up with students and really try to connect with them. I also do classroom visits and check up with teachers on how they could improve or just help them if needed. Part of my job is to also meet with community leaders and try to get funding's for our school.
3. Why did you choose to work here?
Well, in short my love for kids. But also because as a principle I can ensure that kids have a better education. I want to be a support system for them.
6.What qualifications do employees need to be successful here?
Of course they need to have teacher credentials but I also look for staff who really seem to care about students.
7. What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important to be successful here?
Compassion, hard worker, and giving 100% of your effort.
8. What advice do you have about working here?
Be involved and friendly.
1. What is a typical workday look like?
Well most days I am very interactive with students, staff, or anyone else. I come in early and try to get some quite time. Once the day starts I'm in and out of the office, working with students, working with staff, and anything that comes up.
2. What are your main duties and responsibilities?
Well as a principle, of course I check up with students and really try to connect with them. I also do classroom visits and check up with teachers on how they could improve or just help them if needed. Part of my job is to also meet with community leaders and try to get funding's for our school.
3. Why did you choose to work here?
Well, in short my love for kids. But also because as a principle I can ensure that kids have a better education. I want to be a support system for them.
6.What qualifications do employees need to be successful here?
Of course they need to have teacher credentials but I also look for staff who really seem to care about students.
7. What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important to be successful here?
Compassion, hard worker, and giving 100% of your effort.
8. What advice do you have about working here?
Be involved and friendly.
BLOG #2: hopes, dreams, & fears for internship
I'm actually very excited to start internship! I am interning at a recreational music center in Liberty Station. Their main focus is working with little kids, which is something I am interested in. When I first started looking for internships, I was focusing on working at an elementary school, but I decided that there were many other ways to work with children and that I needed to expand my options. When learning that there was an opportunity at this music center, I was excited. I hope to work with children and maybe even teach them something.
BLOG #3: who is your mentor?
who is my mentor? Well I didn't know until I got to sit down with her and ask her why she even chose to work at the RMC. Her career started back in Seattle, she graduated college with a degree in music and a minor in business. Afterwards, she decided that she needed to expand her options, which led her to move to San Diego. She realized that she not only wanted to do music and perform, but also be involved in the business side of music. A friend had communicated with her about an open position at the RMC, thus leading her to take the job . That was four years ago, since then she has been a piano teacher and now director of the RMC.
BLOG #4: what is your company's mission statement?
I believe that my company's mission statement is to have children comprehend the material they are learning and not necessarily have their music be perfect. At the RMC, there are groups of children of different ages, and i've gotten to see how each teacher teaches. With the toddlers, they are allowed to run around and explore the room, while listening to the music lesson. This helps them develop their brain and later on make it easier to learn how to play an instrument. Of course with the older kids it's pretty much similar. They go over a lesson one day for about 30 minutes, and once the teacher sees they have gotten the idea of what they are playing, he moves on. It's a bigger picture, the RMC's goal is to help children understand the music.
BLOG #5: what are you most surprised by during your first week at internship?
Wow I don't even know what I'm surprised by the most! It's been a great week working at the RMC. When you first walk in, you feel how welcoming the atmosphere is. The children and staff are all excited to be there! I love how both staff and children are passionate about music. When working you become very close with everyone. Class sizes are big enough to have the teacher's help when needed. I know the picture below doesn't seem like much, but to me it does! I've gotten the opportunity to observe this week, and I could tell how much the kids love music. I got to see how a teacher is always willing to help a student out. All in all, it's the passion for music that surprises me.
BLOG #6: interview with a coworker
For this post I decided to interview a coworker of mine named Rich. I had so much fun interviewing him, he had great stories of how he got to be the director of development at the RMC. He started his career back 1988, when he joined the Air Force right after high school. Then, he moved on to the Coastguard, and ending with the Army reserves. All while pursuing music. After 13 years of service, he decided to retire. He then moved on to teaching at San Francisco State, and was there for a year until he moved to Daly City. In Daly City, he got his first job as a student events manager at Jefferson High. He continued to live in Daly City until 2015 when he got the opportunity to move to SD. Since October of 2016, he has been working at the RMC as a director of development. Which consists of developing school programs and finding ways to bring money into the recreational music center. His education path consists of 2 Bachelors, one in business management and the other in music education. He also holds 2 Masters and hopes to get his Doctorate soon.
BLOG #7: who benefits from the work you do at your company? who benefits from the work at your company?
Well to answer the first question, I believe that the teachers benefit from my help. I have a set schedule of classes I attend and observe. With each class, I help around with anything that is needed. Or I simply join the class with whatever activity they are doing. By this week I will be able to teach part of the Theory class! So who benefits from the work done at the RMC? It's simple, the children do! From an early age, they are enrolled into early childhood classes. This class helps them develop certain skills that will make it easier for them to play instruments as they get older. The older kids have a great benefit of having music class with groups and on the side having their own private lessons, where they get to choose whatever instrument to play.
BLOG #8: project ideas
Well I haven't settled for a project just yet but I have a couple ideas that might work. One of my ideas is to work with Rich (director of development) and create a video that would broadcast what the RMC is and how they've helped the community. This could help the RMC by bringing in funding's for their programs. I've also been interested in teaching children, and while I did get the opportunity to teach today, I feel like teaching could be my project. Being in the Theory class has helped me develop a sense of what is expected and how the class is supposed to be taught. If I do decide to go along with this idea I would gain the experience of working with children. I've also talked to some of the employees there about some ideas. Some said I could join them in teaching at a school they teach at and this could be my project. I could help and see how working at a school really looks like.
BLOG #9: social interactions at your workplace
At the RMC, people socialize in different ways. In the main office you'll find that everyone has a desk out in the open not in offices. The music teachers have their desks in the back, it's a very open place that is meant to be used as collaboration space. It's very easy for them to talk to each other and not be stuck inside a small room all day. Often when I walk back there, the teachers are talking about their schedules or classes and how they can improve. I feel like the only time when the employees aren't communicating with each other, is when they are teaching. This really reflects the RMC. Because it is a small place where you get to know everyone, you know that when you go in there for some lessons, you'll be getting the attention you need!
BLOG #10: how do you see yourself growing?
I've definitely seen myself grow over the last two weeks at my internship. I would just sit a observe classes. But now, I've gotten the mode of following a schedule. When I've got classes to go to, I'll sit with the children and do the activity. In the Theory class I would just observe, but I've had the great opportunity to teach part of the class. My goal is to be able to teach the whole class by the end of week four. Even if it's not possible, I'll still be able to grow in some way
BLOG #11: comment on 3 blogs
id For this post I decided to comment on Casey, Chaska, & Arturo's blogs
Casey: I'm glad to see that she is doing something she loves, her internship is mostly revolved around art. Although I know she does not like the fact that she's inside all day. I guess that is something I can relate to. I'm inside most of the time, but I would love to run around with the kids outside.
Chaska: I was honestly surprised at what she was doing for her internship! She doesn't seem like the type of person to want to work in fashion, but she seems to be enjoying it!! It really seems like a great place to work at.
Arturo: honestly I'm so jealous he gets to work with animals! Looking through his blogs, I could really tell he was enjoying it. I'd love to see his end project and what he comes up with
Casey: I'm glad to see that she is doing something she loves, her internship is mostly revolved around art. Although I know she does not like the fact that she's inside all day. I guess that is something I can relate to. I'm inside most of the time, but I would love to run around with the kids outside.
Chaska: I was honestly surprised at what she was doing for her internship! She doesn't seem like the type of person to want to work in fashion, but she seems to be enjoying it!! It really seems like a great place to work at.
Arturo: honestly I'm so jealous he gets to work with animals! Looking through his blogs, I could really tell he was enjoying it. I'd love to see his end project and what he comes up with
BLOG #12: biggest challenge you face
A challenge I face at work is getting to know the staff really well. There are about 20+ teachers and everyday I get to interact with someone new. Most teachers are in and out of private lessons or teaching classes so it's always hard to get to know someone. I've mostly gotten to know the teachers I assists, which has actually been great! I know one of the challenges the company has faced, is how they could expand. Back when the RMC opened they only had one room available where private lessons happened with only four staff members. They were growing quickly and needed to find a way to expand. After moving things around, they obtained five rooms and are now running with 20+ staff members.
BLOG #13: what lessons will you bring back to school
For the past couple of weeks that I have been working here, I’ve learned the importance of what it takes to be a good employee at the RMC, some of which these skills I could take back to school. At the beginning my mentor and I created a schedule of how each day of the week would look like. After that it was up to me to follow that schedule because I knew my mentor trusted me in doing so. Along the way, I’ve learned how to be independent. I feel like being independent is a skill that I could take back to school.
BLOG #14: compare your work week & school week
Honestly my work week and school week aren't any different. I wake up at the same time I usually would for school. I start work at 9am and end at 3pm. At work and at school my responsibilities don't change. I know that I should be responsible enough to complete my work and to put all my effort into that work. But of course interacting with people is different. At school I have friends and I know how I can interact with them. But work is a professional setting and I know it should be kept that way. This doesn't mean that I won't joke around with my coworkers but there's just a limit. On the other hand, this internship could be meaningful in many ways. It has helped me see what it would be like to work with kids in a different setting outside of a school. I'm still not sure if I'd like to pursue a career with kids, because my internship mainly focuses on teaching children who are interested in music and music is not my thing. Overall, it's been a great opportunity working at the RMC!
NOTE: week 3 is not filled out because my mentor was out
BLOG #15: the process of your project
Part of my project was to be able to teach a class. It has been going good so far. The whole process started by just observing and taking down notes of the class. It was pretty awkward at first because some of the teachers would ask me if I was interested in music and my response was always no. I was more interested in teaching and gaining experience with working with children. So after I had seen what it took to teach the class, I was ready to teach! At first I started with only teaching a segment of class but by this week I will be teaching half of the class time. Throughout the process I've learned what it took to be a music teacher and that it isn't always easy. You have to have enough confidence and know who you are teaching because everyone learns different
BLOG #16: what did you learn about the importance of self advocacy?
Throughout my internship I learned that it was important to communicate with my coworkers. I learned that it is important to ask questions or ask what is needed and how I could help. Without asking I would've pretty much done nothing during my internship. It was up to me to communicate with my mentor because what other way would she have known when it was time to give me another task. I was also always asking the teachers I worked with how I could help. The role of collaboration is never over even after you finish school, that is what I've seen at the RMC. At the RMC many people collaborated, whether it involved lesson planning or putting together a concert. For example, yesterday I had to put together the schedules for each employee, this wouldn't have been possible without the help of my mentor who taught me how.
BLOG #17: POL presentation
At the start of this week I started to put together what Friday would look like. It's starts with a brief description of where I intern at, and then it moves on to what I've done and who I worked with. It is all wrapped off with a small tour and an observation of one of the Early Childhood classes. Below you can see how I've planned it all out, I will also use those notes as something to rely on just in case. Most of the information I already have memorized from tours i have given. In preparation for any questions that may be asked, I have looked over the RMCs mission statement and vision. Overall I am very confident that Friday will go good! Over the course of my internship I really appreciated that my mentor pushed me into working with Early Childhood as much as I could! It really gave me a sense of how to handle the little ones! During my internship I was in charge of helping the teachers from classes I attended and helping Chelsea (my mentor) with any work. It was great because along the way I got to meet new teachers, I even had the opportunity to take piano lessons!
BLOG # 18: what qualities did you see in the people around you?
During my time at the RMC I've seen that lots of the people I work with are friendly, outgoing, and really care for the people they are teaching. I hope to further develop these skills in me! I believe that these skills will help me become a better person and help me for when I get an actual job, which is the whole point of an internship. Our internships will help us gain experience in what it takes to get a real job, not only that but to actually get a job in a field we are interested in. This internship has also gotten me thinking about my time left in high school. I had the great opportunity to work at the RMC and before I know it it will be over. Before I know it, I will be back at school for my last semester as a junior before moving on to being a senior. I'm thankful for this internship, it has helped me see what it would be like to work with kids.
BLOG #20: what are you most thankful for?
Like I said in my POL last Friday, I am really thankful that I got to work here because of all the experience I have gained! When I first started to look for internships I knew that I wanted to work with kids. But I also knew that I needed to expand my horizons and look at other places besides schools. When Lucas told me about the RMC, I was excited! During my course here I've seen what it's like to work with kids from ages 0-6 years old. And I know it's what I might want to do. Music might not be my thing but working with children is, and I'm thankful I got to realize that here. I am also thankful for all the teachers who let me teach and observe their classes, I'm thankful for meeting such great people! I'm really going to miss those crazy kiddos!
BLOG #21: in what ways has your internship inspired you to think about college?
I feel like I've said this many times but this internship has really gotten me to think about college! I know that I am set on moving to San Fran, LA, or NY. But of course I need to look into the colleges there and expand my options as well. But honestly college sounds scary, and its closer than ever. Seriously, we only have a couple of months left of the 2nd semester of junior year, and then senior year rolls around a couple of months later. Yikes! I also need to discover if education is the major I want to pursue, I'm still debating between criminal justice too. It's just all pilling up and coming so soon. But what if I don't want to go to college? Is that an option? It's just the idea of college and being an adult sounds scary.
BLOG #22: what important skills would you pass on to future interns?
To any future intern at the RMC or any place for that matter, my advice would be to just be yourself and develop a connection with your mentor. At my time here working at the RMC I have gotten to know most of my coworkers, and I have to say they are all really friendly! If I ever need anything I could always count on someone to help me. But of course this may not be the case for everyone. Which is why you should establish a strong connection with your mentor. You could always communicate to them about a problem you may have. Every time I was free, I'd ask my mentor if she needed me for anything. On Tuesday, my mentor thanked me for all the work I had done for the RMC and even offered to help me in the future if I ever needed more experience with kids. Which is another reason to establish a strong relationship with your mentor. They could always become a future reference!
BLOG #23: reflection on internship project
My internship project mainly focused on working with Early Childhood. Here I helped the teacher, observed, and participated in the musical activities. While working with the younger kids I gained experience in what it took to work with that age group, it takes lots of patience! I would often work with the children who preferred to run around, and to my surprise they always seemed to like doing the bounces/activities with me rather than their parents. For example in my Thursday class, I would work closely with a little girl named Kiley, when walking through the door she'd immediately run to my arms and start doing the musical exercises with me. As time went by her mom and I came up with a strategy on how we could help her slowly start getting out of my arms and have her do the activities her self. I think that while working with Early Childhood I wish that I would've gotten to know the parents better. Some of them seemed to have forgotten who I was even after working with their kids for a month. When I first started, I got to meet a couple babies who were attending their first ever music class, and I can say that I've watched them grow. What really stands out is how most started off scared and shy, they wouldn't even let go of their mom's. But through the month I saw how many grew in confidence.