I have a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, Social Studies with a minor in European History and a certification in Applied History. Upon graduation from Slippery Rock in Spring of 2021 I spent some time as a substitute teacher at Bethel Park High School filling in day to day as needed. Within a month of graduating I accepted a full time teaching position at Boonsboro High School in Boonsboro, Maryland for the 2021-2022 school year and I have just begun my second year there. During my first year I taught 9th grade US Studies II and 11th and 12th grade World History and this year I have continued with US Studies II and also teach 10th grade Government.
2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.
I will definitely never forget getting to teach my first lesson in front of a classroom of high school students. I was fortunate enough to get to work with Dr. Bill Bergmann as a part of the Humanities Ladder Spring of my Sophomore year. He very kindly gave me the opportunity to teach one of our lessons completely on my own. It was terrifying, especially because I was still a long way off from student teaching and felt like I didn’t know what I was doing yet. However, it was also the moment that solidified for me that I definitely wanted to be a teacher and that this career truly was and is my passion. I still consider those students to be my “first class” and I’m forever thankful to Dr. Bergmann for taking a chance and giving me that opportunity.
3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.
Picking just one is too difficult, honestly there were so many that had a positive influence. So I’m going to bend the rules just a bit and mention a few. First, Dr. Aaron Cowan who was the first professor to introduce me to Reacting to the Past and got me hooked on it. I’m even working on getting a grant to bring it to my school! He also helped me to be able to complete my Applied History Certification and has even helped me a few times post graduation when I reached out about using some resources in my own classroom. He’s motivated me to really strive to be a great teacher and there’s a lot of my teaching style today that I have him to thank for. I also have to mention Dr. Paula Rieder who I got to spend time with both as a student and as a student mentor. Her classes were an absolute blast as she’s an amazing teacher who really knows her stuff and gets you invested in it. I was fortunate enough to get to work in a few classes with her as a student mentor and it was one of my favorite experiences to have. She was wonderful to work with and really helped me to develop a deeper passion for history. Finally, Dr. Becky Thomas cannot go without a mention. She was the professor who traveled with us during a service learning trip in 2019 to Puerto Rico. During our time there, she opened my eyes to the world of interpretation and how what I was already doing could be applied in national parks and in museums. She inspired me to get my certification as a National Interpretive Guide - and now I volunteer at a local museum putting that certification to use. Dr. Thomas opened up a whole new field of history for me and I’m so grateful for that.
4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?
For me, it was my dad. He’s also a history teacher and so I grew up with an appreciation for history and for education. Plus, when the time came I even got to have him as a teacher for AP US History when I reached high school which was definitely a cool experience. I’m very lucky that I got to grow up surrounded by educators and that I got to see a lot of sides to education that I think a lot of people don’t always get to look at until they’re in the classroom. He was such an inspiration for me growing up, and still is. I’m honestly not sure that I would have gone down this path if it wasn’t for the example that he set for me. It’s great that now we get to talk about our classroom experiences with each other, it feels like things have really come full circle.
5. What do you love most about teaching?
My students! I absolutely love the students that I get to teach for a few different reasons. Since I mostly work with freshmen and sophomores, there’s a lot of growth that happens over the course of those years. I love getting to be a part of watching those students grow and improve over the course of a year and love getting to be a part of their success. Plus, they crack me up. There’s not a single day that goes by where my students don’t make me laugh at least once. They definitely make teaching awesome!
6. What makes a great teacher?
I think a great teacher is someone who really takes the time to get to know their students and to build a community in their classroom. Those relationships are so important and can really set the course for the year. It’s important to know your content, to be prepared, to be able to be flexible, and all of those things also contribute to being a great teacher. But if you don’t have a relationship with your students where they feel they can take risks, aren't afraid to be wrong, and they know they’re in a welcoming environment then it can be difficult to really have an impact.
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