Experience Summary
After graduating from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry, I spent an entire school year teaching Advanced Biology and Introduction to Chemistry classes at Eaton Rapids High School. I was in charge of the full scope of teacher responsibilities, including curriculum planning, lesson planning, instruction, demonstrations, laboratories, grading, parent teacher conferences and IEP meetings. I received a Provisional certificate for secondary education, which is for grades 6-12 in biology, chemistry and general science. In addition, I have over 175 hours of tutoring and teaching experience with all of the combined opportunities from Michigan State's extensive teacher preparation opportunities in the local communities. These tutor sessions covered science curriculum along with reading skills and study habits. I look forward to the opportunity to make a positive impact on the students in the Holland and Grand Rapids communities.
Teaching Style
The greatest challenge in effectively teaching students is also what makes being an educator most rewarding. That challenge is about making connections with what students already know. My teaching style focuses on having an understanding of the student's pre-existing knowledge, and using that as a base on which to create connections to new knowledge. In this way, new ideas that were once abstract can be made relevant to the student's life, creating a real learning situation. This challenge is also the most rewarding part of being an educator because when students learn by building connections, they get excited about that new information.
In addition to creating a lesson based on the students' pre-existing knowledge, I believe that the most effective way to teach should include a combination of methods of instruction. More than simply reading text and writing responses to questions, I value lessons that include hands-on experiences, student-led discussions and projects that are based on the students' interests. By building connections to new information and allowing students to explore new information from a variety of learning experiences, genuine learning occurs.