Testimonial

Ambassadors and Former Ambassadors

 

I can’t think of a more effective way to give me the exposure and education that I need to help me learn to work with children as a career for the future. I also believe that the lectures we had for the class were very effective for students who are trying to go into the teaching field. The guest lectures that we had gave a lot of information on the process of getting into graduate school, as well as different techniques that new teachers can use to teach as effectively as possible. We discussed different strategies that could be used in reading, writing, math, and science, thus making the Writing Ambassadors well versed in tips for all subjects. Overall, the program is incredibly informative and valuable to those going into the teaching profession and there is no better way to get exposure to the field than working directly with a class.

 

--Jared Jew (WA 2015)

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I totally loved this experience! I love working with kids, it’s what I look forward to doing every week! It’s so rewarding to know that you can make a difference in a child’s life! Every time I volunteer I get more and more excited to start my career in teaching and have my own classroom. Along with interning, I also enjoyed the class discussions and guest speakers. I learned about a variety of topics that I know I will carry throughout my career!

--Ruby Gutierrez (WA 2015)

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Overall, I really enjoyed being part of the Writing Ambassadors program because I learned a lot from both the professor and my host teacher. I highly recommend this program for all majors, regardless if they see teaching as their future career. Participating in this internship opened my eyes to a possible career field that I might be interested in. Before this, I did not see teaching as a field for my graduate studies. However, from the guest speakers that talked about the rewarding career as a teacher and experiencing it firsthand, I think that I would love to be a teacher or work in schools. 

--Stephanie Chavez (WA 2015)

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I absolutely learned to manage my patience with the students and became a more understanding person with this experience. I haven’t spent much time on this other end of being a teacher, but I’ve gained a new level a respect for all my past teachers, tutors, and my parents. I would find myself mentally drained after less than two hours of working with the students, and I can only imagine how challenging a teacher’s workday can be.

--Juliya Bronstein (WA 2015)

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Overall, Writing Ambassadors gave me the opportunity to see if the teaching field was a career that I would continue to pursue. I am happy to confirm that it most certainly is, with tools from the class itself and from the feedback of the teacher’s who supervised me, I feel that the teaching field is one I still want to enter. You have to have a passion for learning, a little bit of patience, and you have to not take yourself too seriously. I am quite excited to continue interning. I hope to venture out and try new classroom settings such as middle schools, special education classrooms, or even alternative teaching methods classrooms.

--Jordan Booke (WA 2015)

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Overall I would highly recommend Writing Ambassadors. Regardless of your major, I think working with children is an invaluable experience. You improve your communication skills, leadership abilities and will foster strong relationships with others. You also have the chance to be well acquainted with your host teacher, which can be beneficial to use as a reference someday, especially if going into the education field. Furthermore, the supplemental class meeting every week really helps to better guide you through your internship and hear about the classroom experiences of others. It provides support out of the classroom to discuss your observations, concerns and receive helpful feedback.

--Laura Balestieri (WA 2015)

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"Writing ambassadors not only taught me valuable lessons about how to teach, but it also helped me decide my future […] Each class meeting was helpful, because we were able to narrow our focus on becoming teachers. Seeing presentations by the Sacramento credential program and meeting with past and current members of the UCD credential program was insanely helpful to me. I have been trying to decide for quite a while which I would prefer, but these meetings helped me choose. Also, being able to learn from current teachers was amazing as well. It is always a good idea to collaborate with others and learn from them. I enjoyed each class and it was enjoyable to be surrounded by others who all had roughly the same goal as me. Hearing about each other’s’ internships via the class meetings and blog posts made me feel that we had a support system. We could talk about our downfalls and triumphs and people were always there to give advice or support. Writing Ambassadors is a great program and I wish more people would get involved with it. The local schools love the help and the teachers are very knowledgeable. It has been an incredible experience."

--Corey King (WA 2014-2015)

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"I like getting to know the kids and different teaching methods."

--Cynthia Medina (former WA)

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“I did the [WA} program for two quarters and it was really a great experience. I can safely say I would not be where I am now if I didn't do it. And the funny thing is I had no idea I wanted to be a teacher when I signed up, I only did it because I stumbled across it and it sounded interesting.”  

--Audrey Toth (former WA, continued on to UCD's Masters/Credential program)

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“Since I left Davis, I've been working towards building my career in education. I was hired as an intern at Branham High School in San Jose during my last semester in the credential program at San Jose State. I feel so lucky to have found such an incredible and supportive school. I say "school" because everyone I've come across, including parents, has been so kind, supportive, and understanding. 

“I'm currently in my 3rd year at Branham. This year, I teach 4 sections of English 1 and 2 sections of English 1H.  I'm excited to say that we'll be offering AP Language and Composition as an English 3 alternative and I'll be piloting the course.

“The WA program gave me experience in the classroom before I even started to get my credential. Monica Brooks, the ESL teacher, allowed me to teach mini lessons once in a while and doing so gave me incredible insight into the experience of working with young people. I think participating in the program also helped me when I started job hunting. At that point, I had a year of experience working with ESL students, who are the primary population in San Jose. I like to think that having that experience gave me somewhat of a competitive edge over the other candidates.”

Of the UWP197tc classes themselves, Diana said: “I enjoyed the classes because we learned and discussed best practices. The one I remember that has been most valuable to me is when I learned about S.O.A.P.S. This acronym has come up over and over in professional development seminars that I've gone to and it's really helped my students with their writing.”  

--Diana Nuyen (former WA)

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Host Teachers

 

“Working with the Writing Ambassador interns over these past years has been a very rewarding experience.  The quality of students is top-notch both academically and socially.  Because they are so well-supported in your class, they are able to work more effectively in the classroom. You not only give them guidelines on how to work with children and teachers, but you offer them a forum in class for airing their discoveries and concerns.  Many of our interns have ended up working with us for several quarters, and some for several years.  I still correspond with former interns who are now teachers themselves.  As I prepare for retirement in June, I look back on my association with the Writing Ambassador interns with great satisfaction.   Thank you for all you have done to facilitate this program.”    

--Lacey Thayer (teacher at North Davis Elementary; WA mentor throughout the life of the program)

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“The Writing Ambassadors have been a great resource providing all kinds of support to my classes.   In the past, Writing Ambassadors have developed and graded assignments, created lessons and presentations, and have taught writing and other lessons.   The Writing Ambassadors have traditionally been some of my highest quality interns.   Writing Ambassadors have represented themselves well as hard-working professionals building positive relationships with me and my students.”

--Peter Haws, (Economics and World Civilizations instructor at Davis High)

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"I have been working with the program since my arrival at Patwin and love my writing ambassadors!" 

--Linda Biewer-Elstob (teacher at Patwin Elementary)

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"I've benefitted from ambassadors many times in past classrooms"

--Eileen Keane (teacher at Birch Lane Elementary)

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"I wouldn't be able to do all the teaching I do without them. . . They're young and can relate to the kids and they bring a fresh attitude. Most want to be teachers and you feel good about giving them that real-world experience"

--Amanda Zimmerman (teacher at Montgomery Elementary School)

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"Teachers love having them. My most experienced teachers say they have never had a bad experience. They seek them out every year. It's a great program."

--Sally Plicka (principal at Montgomery Elementary School)

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