Shaye McHatten

Programs	Education Major
Class	2020
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Home State	Maine
Study Abroad	Auckland, New Zealand

Specialization

Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher

Internship

Student Teacher at Orchard Elementary School in South Burlington, VT

Favorite Class

Managing the Learning Environment

Post-Grad Job

Third Grade Teacher at Swanton Elementary School in Swanton, VT

Can you tell us about your internship?

Through my student teaching at Orchard Elementary School, I really got an idea of what life would be like as an actual teacher. I was in the classroom for roughly 40 hours a week. I learned different classroom management techniques and creative ways to teach academic content. Because my internship is so connected with the work I’ll be doing in my career, I think that I am very well prepared. Though I’m going into the workforce as a first year teacher, I’ve had tons of experience in a variety of classroom settings thanks to Champlain.

What extracurricular activities have you been involved with at Champlain?

I’ve been a mentor at Champlain’s chapter of the DREAM program since my first year. We work with youth ages six to eighteen living in low-income housing in Milton. Every Friday, we do different activities together, like apple-picking, bowling, playing at local playgrounds, and so much more. Being a part of this club has been so rewarding. As much as I hope I made an impact on my mentees’ lives, I know they made an even bigger one on mine.

Did you get the chance to study abroad?

In the spring of 2019, I studied abroad in New Zealand through the Auckland University of Technology. I took classes on both the Maori culture, as well as education in New Zealand. One of my favorite experiences was getting to volunteer at a primary school while I was there. I worked with year one students-equivalent to kindergarten in the U.S.-so I got to see New Zealand’s education system in action. I plan to implement elements of their education system into my future classroom.