Experience Summary
In 2007, I graduated from Penn State with a plan of attending graduate school for Creative Writing. I was devastated when I received three rejection letters from schools I admired. Instead of letting that devastation break me down, I accepted a job as an SAT/ACT Preparation Teacher at a learning center. After several weeks of successful, inspiring interactions with high school students in one-on-one sessions, I knew that the circuitous path that led me to this job was truly my destiny: I was meant to be a teacher. From the moment I had that realization on, I took all the steps I needed to become a certified teacher with a Master's in the Art of Teaching. I continue my journey daily as I student teach in the Newport News School District.
Teaching Style
A year ago, I had the honor of substituting as an Assistant Teacher with an amazing kindergarten teacher. I learned then that she maintains her respect and passion for her career by following this mantra: "I need to understand my students come to me in the morning having already experienced some kind of morning of their own at home. I don’t know what that morning was like, but I can tell when it’s been a bad one. I have to be able to engage each of them, no matter what their morning was, and welcome them to the safety of my classroom. I want each of them to feel safe here, so that they can be excited about learning.” To this day, I follow and believe that mantra and pledge to make it work in all of my educational efforts.