Independence was a major aspect of this course, which makes sense as we are college students and should not have to depend on our instructor for every little detail.  For myself, I prefer to work independently.  I know that working independently is not always the best practice as being able to work with others is also a great quality to possess.  Confidence is key quality, when working around children.  Children can sense when confidence is not present, and act upon it.  This is something I need to work on, as sometimes I do struggle in being confident in myself and my teaching.

I have learned a great deal of knowledge about genre, especially in children’s literature.  I have also learned to incorporate literature into the classroom in anyway possible and children can have fun with children’s literature and poetry. 

Skills and strategies are acquired through experiences.  So we as teachers will continually be learning new skills and strategies throughout our teaching experiences.  Some skills and strategies I have learned this semester include collaboration, communication and the use of technology in the classroom. 

Use of prior and emerging experiences is always good to bring to the table.  We learn from our prior experiences. 

Through the UNM program and UNM instructors I have learned that reflecting is very critical and essential to learning and teaching.  Through reflecting we can learn and make things better for our students and ourselves.  By reflecting we are making ourselves aware of what has happened and why we think it happened, and then can go on to make things better.