Experience Summary
In August of 2008, I was given the opportunity to teach three English courses at Mid Michigan Community College: (2) ENG 111: Freshman English Composition courses, and (1) ENG 097 course, which was designed to help struggling readers learn how to read a variety of texts throughout his/her college career. This teaching opportunity was a phenomenal experience for me, and I learned so much about myself as a teacher (i.e. strengths and weaknesses). At MMCC, I was also hired as a Writing Center Consultant. This job enabled me to work one-on-one with students regarding any difficulties they had with the writing process.
When I was a junior in college, I was given the opportunity to be an ESL tutor at Mt. Pleasant High School. I was able to to tutor four different students from different places in the world (Saudi Arabia, South Korea, & Russia) and help them adapt to the English language by creating many different activities and games that would aid in their learning. Overall, I feel that I helped give them confidence in their English writing and reading abilities, and I felt really good about that.
Teaching Style
Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and once I started teaching, I truly realized that that was what I wanted to do. All students deserve the right to learn, and it is up to the teacher to learn each and every students' strengths and weaknesses in the classroom and plan their lessons accordingly. It is important to create a comfortable learning environment so that students can be taught effectively. When students feel comfortable in the classroom, it is easier to build positive relationships with them. When this happens, students feel comfortable when approaching his/her teacher with any questions or concerns they may have. My experience in teaching has shown me that if you show students that you truly care about their success, they will respond to your teaching styles and want to perform well in your class.