Brooklyn McCaskill

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? 

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Level Math Education in May 2020. During my time in college, I was Secretary for SEFE Club, Social Media Chair for CMLA, and Corresponding Secretary for Gamma Sigma Sigma. I currently teach Algebra 1 for Culpeper County Public Schools in Culpeper, Virginia.

 

2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

I had the opportunity to travel abroad to Mexico for 10 days and the experience was amazing. It was my first time getting to travel outside of the country, and I had the chance to practice my Spanish-speaking skills.

 

3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

This is a really hard question because many professors at SRU have helped me become the teacher and person I am today. If I had to choose, I’d say Dr. Jason Hilton and Dr. Christine Pease-Hernandez. Dr. Hilton has so much wisdom and knowledge, and you always leave a conversation with him wiser than you were before talking to him. I took Intercultural Communications during the Spring 2019 semester and Dr. Pease-Hernandez taught me the importance and the power of my voice and to not be afraid to speak up. She taught me the significance of communication that I use to this day: inside and outside of the classroom setting.

 

4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

My interest in becoming a teacher started when I was in elementary school. My 3rd grade teacher at Barrett Elementary was Mrs. Ambrozic. She made me love going to school and I never wanted to miss a day! I told myself “When I grow up, I want to be just like her!”. For 5th grade Language Arts, I had Mr. Manns and he was always so nice to everyone and very patient. Language Arts was not my favorite subject because I had trouble with reading comprehension, but he taught the reading portion of the class in a way where I felt empowered and confident in my abilities to do my classwork. When I was a senior at Gateway High School, having both Mrs. Barkey for AP Statistics and Mr. Santilli for Consumer Math solidified my decision to pursue a degree in education!

 

5. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

While there are many rewarding aspects, if I had to choose one I’d say watching how much students grow over time. Students are not the same person they were from the first day of school to the last, or anywhere in between. Yes, students grow so much in their knowledge when it comes to academics and learning content, but also their self-awareness, maturity, how they handle interpersonal conflict, and so much more. Growth isn’t a linear journey, but students do grow in more ways than one.

 

6. What makes a great teacher?

While everyone brings their own strength, specialties, and uniqueness to the classroom, I believe a great teacher is someone who shows through their actions that they care about students, and knows how to adapt to different situations as they happen.