This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with High Country Concrete, and the experience gave me perspective that I can bring into my third grade classroom. Although construction and teaching may seem very different, I discovered many meaningful connections.

At High Country Concrete, I saw the importance of teamwork, careful planning, problem-solving, and perseverance. These are the same skills I encourage my students to develop every day through cooperative learning, STEM challenges, and collaborative projects.

The internship also showed me how math and science are used in real life. We will connect measurement by calculating length, area, and perimeter during math lessons. Students will explore multiplication and division through estimating materials and solving real-world word problems. In science, we will investigate the properties of materials, observe how mixtures change, and discuss how weather affects construction projects. During engineering and STEM activities, students will design and build structures, test their strength, and improve their designs using the engineering design process.

Writing will also become more meaningful as students create informational pieces about construction careers, write procedural texts explaining how to build a simple structure, and reflect on how teamwork helps people achieve a common goal.

This experience will help me create authentic lessons that connect classroom learning to real-world careers in construction, engineering, and the skilled trades. Most importantly, it reminded me that learning never stops. By stepping outside my comfort zone, I returned to school with fresh ideas and practical examples that will help my students see the value of what they learn each day.