"Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding."
William Arthur Ward
Angelina A. Balatskaya
Professional Experience
September 2022 - October 2022
Niagara Falls High School
Student Teacher
In this placement, I was provided the opportunity to work with ELA 9 classes where I planned, created, and explored the design and execution of effective and engaging lesson plans, along with exhibiting classroom management skills and keeping track of grades and assessments.
In this unit, we read a variety of genres of literature about people from various backgrounds who are in the process of self-discovery. As we read these different genres, the students completed various personal writing exercises in each genre. Throughout the unit, we focused on questions of identity, and how we define ourselves and others.
One of the short stories we read was “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan. My goal of teaching this story was for students to become accustomed to literature where the theme is heavily related to promoting cultural awareness and exploring identity.
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Another short story that we read was “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes. By reading this story students learn about integrity and what integrity means. Students were given the opportunity to talk freely about life and its challenges as they write meaningful metaphors, creating comparisons between life and other things.
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October 2022-December 2022
PS 74 Hamlin Park-Claude and Ouida Clapp Academy Middle School
Student Teacher
In this placement, I was provided the opportunity to work with ELA 7 classes where I assisted, planned, and explored the design and execution of effective and engaging lesson plans for the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park .
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In this unit, students explored the experiences of people of Southern Sudan during and after the Second Sudanese Civil War through novel and informational texts. They read closely to practice citing evidence and drawing inferences from this compelling text as they analyzed and contrasted the points of view of the two central characters, Salva and Nya. They also read informational text to gather evidence on the perspectives of the Dinka and Nuer tribes of Southern Sudan. Students build proficiency in using textual evidence to support ideas in their writing, both in shorter responses and in final assessment analytical essay.