Reflection Paper

Ashlyn Meester
South Dakota State University

Community Service/Teacher Experience Reflection
I have had the pleasure of working in our lab school located at South Dakota State
University in Brookings during the Fall and Spring of 2022 semesters. In the spring, I worked in
the 3- and 4-year-old lab as a teacher’s assistant. In the fall, I was able to be a student teacher in
the toddler lab. I have gained a lot of experience from being able to be with the children while
even having the opportunity to implement my own lesson plans. Some key experiences during
this time were learning how to write lesson plans, documenting growth and development, and
having the opportunity to build new relationships with students, parents, staff, and peers.
During my time at the lab school, I was able to teach children, document development,
plan and implement lesson plans, and build relationships. Being able to teach in the South
Dakota State University lab school allowed for the expansion and growth of new possibilities. I
was able to work on my organization and time management skills, prepare for the unexpected,
and learn that all children are different in their own astonishing way. The journey of my growth
as an educator has led me to many new opportunities and has strengthened my passion for
teaching.
A set of skills that I strengthened while being in the lab school was my organization and
time management. When placed in the lab school, I was enrolled a total of 18 college credits. I
learned to balance staying organized with my classes while making sure my students received
my full attention during my lab hours. This was a challenge at first and time seemed to never be
on my side, but I had to prioritize what I felt was most important in order to accomplish
everything that needed to be done. Being skilled in organization and time management will be
extremely beneficial moving forward because life will always be busy in different ways. When
thinking about the teacher I want to be, I know that I will need to be present during the workday,
Ashlyn Meester
but I will also be spending many hours outside of the classroom planning and preparing, so I can
effectively help my students grow and set them up for success. While doing this, I will also need
to prioritize things outside of my career. Though I may have felt overwhelmed at times, going
through the process of having so many credits while working in the lab has been extremely
beneficial for me.
A new piece of information that I encountered during my time in the lab school was to
never expect everything to go as planned and to always prepare for the unexpected. While the
days were always chaotic, they were so rewarding. There were times when we could not finish
projects due to unexpected things happening throughout our day. I had to change a lot of my
plans to fit the children’s needs and the schedule. I learned to never get stressed or upset when
something did not go how I wanted. In teaching, things are never going to go as planned, so
understanding and preparing for it now is beneficial for me and will help me become the
extraordinary teacher that I strive to be in the future.
In the fall, I had two sets of toddlers, an older group, and a younger group. We used a lot
of the same materials on a variety of age groups. Having the different age groups made me
realize how different children can be developmentally. A lot of children can be ahead for their
age, right on track, and even behind as well. Making sure that we had materials for children at all
levels was important so that we could better track the growth of their development. Children are
different in many ways, but that is what makes them unique and special.
The opportunity to be in the lab school has provided great experience and key skills for
the future. I loved seeing the developmental changes that happened in the children in such a short
period of time. Being with kids has always brought me so much joy, and it is what started my
Ashlyn Meester
passion for teaching. The joy of working alongside them and being a part of their growth is
indescribable, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds in my teaching career.

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Ashlyn Meester

South Dakota State University

beneficial for me.

extraordinary teacher that I strive to be in the future.

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