The first class I taught made me realize that these children looked at me as a role model before anything else. They listened very closely to every word that I said. I knew they would be attentive but I did not realize to what extent. That was probably the one expectation that took on a whole new meaning for me.

I also expected to have a hard time getting class participation on questions. I assumed that the students would be nervous. However, during the first class, almost all of the students spoke up and gave their input. This was one assumption that I was very pleased to be proved wrong o

There was one lesson that I found challenging for 8th graders. The lesson on check writing cannot be completed efficiently without overhead materials. The students had a hard time grasping the idea of check writing and what areas to fill in. But once we put a transparency on the overhead projector, the visual aid helped he students understand the process.

The teacher of the class I taught, Mrs. Gail Madigan, was an excellent teacher. It was very obvious the students respected her and enjoyed being in her classroom. As a teacher, I brought a different aspect to the curriculum. The students saw a young college student, which was something that excited them. I gave them the chance to ask me anything they wanted about college and myself. They asked about the difficulty of school, what sports I played, what I liked to do for fun, and related topics. They seemed to enjoy a younger face teaching them because they could relate

Some common words found in the essay are:
Curriculum Reform, Middle School, Gail Madigan, Junior Achievement, , 8th grade, junior achievement, junior achievement program, 8th graders, learning experience, check writing, 6th graders, middle school, achievement program, class taught,
Approximate Word count = 626
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)