Professional
I take great pride in my professionalism in and out of the classroom. I try to be very conscientious when it comes to the way I present myself. From the way I dress to the way in which I interact with community members, I try to always keep in mind that I represent educators and all that that career entails. I also strive to maintain that professionalism when it comes to the relationships that I form. Especially with my students and the parents of my students, I want to them to see me as a professional that they can trust to do my absolute best.
I take great pride in my professionalism in and out of the classroom. I try to be very conscientious when it comes to the way I present myself. From the way I dress to the way in which I interact with community members, I try to always keep in mind that I represent educators and all that that career entails. I also strive to maintain that professionalism when it comes to the relationships that I form. Especially with my students and the parents of my students, I want to them to see me as a professional that they can trust to do my absolute best.
Collaborative
I believe that collaboration and communication are vital aspects to the success of any school. Collaboration can take many forms; from weekend conferences to department meetings, to one-on-one meetings with other faculty members. I believe all are beneficial and important to invest in. I enjoy participating in collaboration with fellow educators and those who have a heart for teenagers. I believe that collaboration is good for sharing ideas, discussing what works and what does not, encouraging one another, and supporting one another.
I believe that collaboration and communication are vital aspects to the success of any school. Collaboration can take many forms; from weekend conferences to department meetings, to one-on-one meetings with other faculty members. I believe all are beneficial and important to invest in. I enjoy participating in collaboration with fellow educators and those who have a heart for teenagers. I believe that collaboration is good for sharing ideas, discussing what works and what does not, encouraging one another, and supporting one another.
Committed Learner
Since graduating high school in 2006, I have continuously pursued my education, even in the face of extreme challenges. I have taken on a full-load of classes through two pregnancies, moving across the country, and my husband being deployed and away from our family for 15 months. I consider education and challenging oneself to be extremely important for many reasons. As a history teacher, especially, staying current on new discoveries and developing research is critical for content accuracy. Also, challenging myself to learn is the best way for me to set an example to my own students. If I expect them to be self-motivated to learn and go beyond general expectations, I too should push myself to do the same. I make it a point to learn new techniques, methods, and general information not only about history, but also about education through all avenues. I take part in online forums and conversations, follow blogs, and read books on a regular basis. I am also eager to take part in professional development and education conferences as I begin my new career.
Since graduating high school in 2006, I have continuously pursued my education, even in the face of extreme challenges. I have taken on a full-load of classes through two pregnancies, moving across the country, and my husband being deployed and away from our family for 15 months. I consider education and challenging oneself to be extremely important for many reasons. As a history teacher, especially, staying current on new discoveries and developing research is critical for content accuracy. Also, challenging myself to learn is the best way for me to set an example to my own students. If I expect them to be self-motivated to learn and go beyond general expectations, I too should push myself to do the same. I make it a point to learn new techniques, methods, and general information not only about history, but also about education through all avenues. I take part in online forums and conversations, follow blogs, and read books on a regular basis. I am also eager to take part in professional development and education conferences as I begin my new career.
Reflective & Adaptable
I make it a consistent habit to reflect back on my lessons after I have led them in class. I strongly agree with the saying that “You are your own worst critic”, which I think is helpful when trying to draw in teenagers. Only through this reflection and self-criticism can a teacher become better. I also am constantly adjusting and modifying my lessons to meet the need of each class. This might even require me to change the way a teach a lesson from period to period, which I have done multiple times. I believe in personalizing my lessons to my students as much as I can and find it fun and challenging to create different versions of the same lesson.
I make it a consistent habit to reflect back on my lessons after I have led them in class. I strongly agree with the saying that “You are your own worst critic”, which I think is helpful when trying to draw in teenagers. Only through this reflection and self-criticism can a teacher become better. I also am constantly adjusting and modifying my lessons to meet the need of each class. This might even require me to change the way a teach a lesson from period to period, which I have done multiple times. I believe in personalizing my lessons to my students as much as I can and find it fun and challenging to create different versions of the same lesson.
Self-Directed
I strive to make learning history fun and relevant for my students. I am inspired to make history real for my students. Because of these aspirations I take it upon myself to expand my knowledge not only about my content, but also concerning different teaching methods. I do this through joining different resource websites, reading books, and following different educator’s blogs or twitter accounts. Also, during the summer, I try to read books that will further my understanding of history, both U.S. and World, and education and how students learn.
I strive to make learning history fun and relevant for my students. I am inspired to make history real for my students. Because of these aspirations I take it upon myself to expand my knowledge not only about my content, but also concerning different teaching methods. I do this through joining different resource websites, reading books, and following different educator’s blogs or twitter accounts. Also, during the summer, I try to read books that will further my understanding of history, both U.S. and World, and education and how students learn.
Challenging Facilitator of Learning
I am not ashamed to say that I have high expectations of my students. I expect them to go above and beyond my general instructions. I expect my students to step up and embrace the challenging assignments that I give them and to go the extra mile to connect history’s lesson to today’s world events. Though I am there to guide them and assist, I expect them to exceed expectations. In my expectations, I clearly state that I expect enthusiastic participation and active learners in my classroom. I expect completed, prompt work and that students would be respectful not only to me, as their instructor, but to each other. I want each student to develop their own voice, and to develop the skill of questioning and interpretation history through their own eyes.
I am not ashamed to say that I have high expectations of my students. I expect them to go above and beyond my general instructions. I expect my students to step up and embrace the challenging assignments that I give them and to go the extra mile to connect history’s lesson to today’s world events. Though I am there to guide them and assist, I expect them to exceed expectations. In my expectations, I clearly state that I expect enthusiastic participation and active learners in my classroom. I expect completed, prompt work and that students would be respectful not only to me, as their instructor, but to each other. I want each student to develop their own voice, and to develop the skill of questioning and interpretation history through their own eyes.
Student Advocate
There is no other role within my career that I take more seriously. Being my student’s advocate could mean many things, but the word that comes to mind when I consider this role is “Protect”. I desire to protect my students against failure, unwise choices, and hindering influences. I mean to work my hardest to to provide my students with great opportunities, offer a listening ear and wisdom when approached, and to defend my students against bullying from any and all sources. I value all my students and truly attempt to connect with each and every one. I intentionally seek out ways to bond with my students, whether that be through art, music, hobbies, or sports. I attempt to integrate all these different things into lessons, as to celebrate the differences within our classroom community.
There is no other role within my career that I take more seriously. Being my student’s advocate could mean many things, but the word that comes to mind when I consider this role is “Protect”. I desire to protect my students against failure, unwise choices, and hindering influences. I mean to work my hardest to to provide my students with great opportunities, offer a listening ear and wisdom when approached, and to defend my students against bullying from any and all sources. I value all my students and truly attempt to connect with each and every one. I intentionally seek out ways to bond with my students, whether that be through art, music, hobbies, or sports. I attempt to integrate all these different things into lessons, as to celebrate the differences within our classroom community.