![](https://blog.elanco.org/pathways2success/files/2021/05/Lopez-437x429.jpg)
Jalise Lopez – Secondary Education Internship
Hello, my name is Jalise Lopez and I am currently interning at Garden Spot High School with Mr. Martin’s AP Psychology class, during my last semester of high school. As Mr. Martin’s psychology education intern, I come into class Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 10:15am, depending on if it is a regular schedule. Since I was unable to work with a psychologist for my internship due to COVID issues, I was still able to get the incredible opportunity to intern for Mr. Martin in the Psych department. On normal days, I usually walk into class, grab a textbook, and ask if there are any specific tasks that he would like me to complete. Some of these tasks include printing packets, organizing textbooks, conducting experiments, and even teaching mini-lessons. So far, I have also completed Quizlets for every unit in the textbook and assigned textbooks to students in the classroom.
The latest task that I have done was teaching a small lesson about moral development. I had used their answers to a question about moral development to help better explain the topic. They had to ask themselves if stealing to save a life was the right or wrong thing. This brought out a discussion between the whole class and helped clearly explain the moral development from child to adult. I have also had several opportunities to give directions for a few assignments and facilitate experiments.
An important part of what is do is observing how Mr. Martin is able to communicate and teach students. This has helped me grow and learn about teaching and psychology. At the beginning of this internship, I was against the idea of talking in front of the class and I was afraid of being put in that situation. Over time, I pushed myself to do what makes me most uncomfortable. I have spoken in front of the class several times and I still try to step out of my comfort zone when an opportunity presents itself. Although I still get nervous and timid, I am happy to say I have grown in this aspect. Also, watching Mr. Martin teach every day has shown me that a career in education can be related to psychology. I have learned that there is more to teaching than meets the eye.
Finally, my internship with Mr. Martin has helped me see teaching in a different way. Learning more about the curriculum I have discovered that there is always something new to learn about psychology and how beneficial it can be in helping others. Also, this internship showed me more about which path in psychology I could take. Interning with Mr. Martin has helped me step out of my comfort zone and gave me a better view of my career choices after high school.