1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.
I graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Masters of Education in the Fall of 2015. I currently work for a virtual charter school in the state of Pennsylvania as a high school chemistry teacher. I’ve held this role since graduating SRU with my masters.
2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.
The one SRU experience that transformed my life and career was the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for 4 weeks. Becoming immersed in a culture different than what I was used to really opened my eyes how education is so much more than a classroom experience. I still keep in contact with the connections I’ve made. The experience boosted my confidence in the classroom; especially knowing the pedagogy and teaching strategies learned at SRU transcend cultures. For example, I’ll never the forget how a group of students thought they could “act up” since I was the student teacher during my first week teaching in the Irish school. When the students wouldn’t stop talking, I distinctly remember turning off the lights and pausing for what felt like an eternity but the room became quiet to the point where you could hear a pin drop. I learned there are some time tested strategies with teaching that work no matter what educational setting you are in! Plus, the weekend trips to explore the Irish countryside and cities just added a special touch to the experience.
3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.
Dr. Jeffrey Lehman had a positive influence on me during my time at SRU. First of all, as my advisor, he was really encouraging and always gave feedback in a constructive way that never seemed condescending or punitive. He also encouraged me to apply to the study abroad program in Ireland, which really opened my eyes to life outside of PA. I am forever grateful and thankful for his advice, encouragement, and feedback during my time at SRU.
4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?
Ever since I was little, I had a passion for learning. I remember helping my younger sister with her homework and forming study groups with my fellow classmates; however, I was not ready to pursue education as a career upon graduating high school. It wasn’t until my undergraduate experience that I realized my calling was education. I specifically remember being asked by my professors to become tutors for classes to help fellow students. The experience of getting to work with students, get paid, and also review the content helped pushed me to decide education as a career. Even when I worked in industry I was assigned to develop training resources for onboarding and incoming employees. These experiences all validated my calling for becoming a teacher.
5. What do you love most about teaching?
I enjoy getting to interact with students each day and take on the challenge of getting them interested in learning tough content. When I see students start to make connections and get invested in the activities, I become fueled to keep going. And even when lessons don’t go according to plan or students do not take interest, I enjoy the challenge of improving the lesson to reach each student in the next class.
6. What makes a great teacher?
A great teacher connects with their students, knows what motivates them, and find ways to make the content accessible, understandable, and attainable, for everyone in the classroom. I want my students to leave the classroom learning something knew without them feeling like it’s a process they “have” to go through. In other words, I great teacher wants their students to want to come to class each day.
