The Life of a Student Teacher

Hi! My name is Katie and I am a Senior in the Lynch School of Education. This semester I am completing my full-time student teaching. Education students complete 3 pre-practicums where we work in three different classrooms over three semesters during our Sophomore and Junior year. I was able to get a feel for which grade I want to work with and what kind of teaching environment is a good fit for me.

Currently, I am working in a first grade classroom in a suburb of Boston. I teach 5 full days a week and take one class for this whole semester. My classroom and students are great! There are only 16 students so I have been able to get to know them well and it differentiate my lessons. So far this semester I have been able to teach all of the science (we are learning about solids, liquids, and gases now), two reading groups, and half of the math and social studies lessons. It has truly been a great learning experience for me.

Last week I was able to accompany my class on their field trip to the New England Aquarium. I was considered one of the chaperones and had a small group of children to take around. It was a great opportunity to connect with children on a more individual level and provide deep learning instruction. We nick-named our group the Electric Eels and got to see sharks, octopus, and penguins. We had a great time on the trip!

Yesterday, I was the substitute teacher in a third grade classroom. It was amazing to see the difference in the children's ability to do independent work and listen to instruction. While my 3rd grade class was out for recess I went back to my 1st grade classroom. The kids were excited to see me and I realized how much I had missed being with them during the day. I was glad to be back in my classroom today but subbing yesterday made me think about whether I want to teach in the primary grades or not.

Stay tuned for a blog about my take-over weeks!

Summer Greetings!

Hi everyone! My name is Lisa and I'm a rising senior in the Lynch School. It's been a fantastic summer here at Boston College working for the Student Admissions Program! I feel so lucky to have hosted so many eager high school students and their parents and I hope that I've truly helped families in their college search.

I'm having so much fun living off-campus with my friends! Since I have four years of on-campus housing, I chose to do something a little different this summer and sublet in one of my friend's houses off campus (that means that I am taking the place of another student who lived in that house for only part of the year). ResLife at BC not only facilitates on-campus placements for students, but assists students with finding off-campus housing as well.

Last week I went to dinner at Papa Razzi and I had a delicious dinner of chicken with garlic and broccoli, finished off with an amazing piece of tiramisu! Boston boasts amazing restaurants, from family-owned Italian eateries in the North End (like La Famiglia Giorgio and the famous Mike's Pastry), to delicious restaurants on Newbury Street (think Sonsie), and excellent options across the river in Harvard Square (my favorite is the Bombay Club).

I also had the opportunity to visit a friend in Concord and had the chance to walk across the Old North Bridge, the site of the first battle in the Revolutionary War and the "shot heard 'round the world". Many know about the Freedom Trail, a deeply historic walking trail of Boston indicated by a red brick path throughout the city. However, there is also so much history in the greater Boston area. For example, many students visit Salem (site of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials) each year for Halloween. Often, Resident Assistants will plan trips for their residents during which they visit historical sites, shopping malls and outlets, and other destinations such as Six Flags New England. Although many fun things to do are located within the reach of the MBTA (Boston's public transportation system), these programs offer transportation (and often less expensive group rates too!) to places that are not necessarily accessible by public transportation.

Thanks for reading my blog, and I'm looking forward to writing again! Hope you're all having a great summer! =)

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the Boston College Student Admission Program blogs! This blog is maintained by undergraduates in the Lynch School of Education who are studying or interested in studying for a degree in education.

If you are a prospective student who is interested in applying to BC's education program, look no further! Here we try to give you a window into the life of Boston College students, who will be posting about what daily life is like on the Heights. Bookmark this page and keep coming back for more; this blog will be updated regularly by one of many of our Student Admission Program volunteers! We all have stories to share that we hope will help you determine if BC is right for you.

These blogs can be as interactive as you make them. Want to hear about a certain aspect of college life? Curious as to how we survive without home-cooked meals and laundry done for us? Ask and you shall receive. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them! We'll respond in our next entry as soon as we can.

Thank you so much for stopping in! If you'd like to hear more about BC, visit the official site of Boston College! You can also learn more about visiting campus and our tours and infamous Eagle Eye sessions at the SAP webpage! We'd love to have you!

Good luck!

Sam Lipscomb
SAP Technology Coordinator '08-'09
Boston College A&S '10
lipscoms@bc.edu