Emily West

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

My educational background consists of attending and graduating from Canon McMillan High School in 2016 and then attending and graduating from Slippery Rock in 2020. Currently, I am enrolled in an Educational Leadership Masters Program at PennWest University.  I started my teaching journey at an alternative educational setting. I worked at Merakey Education and Autism Center as an Autistic Support Teacher for 2 years before I decided to expand my career. I am currently working as a Kindergarten Teacher at California Area School District in California PA. 

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

I will never forget the last day of my student-teaching experience at Streams Elementary in Upper St. Clair School District. It was the same day that the school announced that it would be shutting down due to COVID-19, the students were scared and unsure of what was happening, one student came up to me and said "it must be scary wanting to be a teacher. I wish that you could stay with us longer so you could help us feel better about not coming to school". I just thought for a second that this student, with all that was going on in her life, stopped to think about how the shutdown affected the teachers as well. I was only in that placement for a couple of months but I had built connections with the students strong enough for them to want me to be a part of this unsure period in their lives. 

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

Dr. Linda Zane had a very positive influence on me. She was very passionate about the physical space of the classroom and how that has an effect on the students and their learning. That passion is something that I carry with me every day and is something that proved to be very important in every classroom I have held. 

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

I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. As I worked through my educational career I had a hard time in school socially and never really felt like I had a safe space or someone that I trusted to talk to. Through those experiences, I had a passion that began to grow in me to be that person for other students.  I was always able to build connections with kids; as I got older, it just felt natural to teach younger children. 

5. What do you love most about teaching?

I love knowing that I am making an impact on a student. I love seeing the smiles when they walk into the classroom and watching them grow each and every day. It is the most rewarding thing in the world. 

6. What makes a great teacher?

I think that my love and passion for teaching are what make me a great teacher. My class is everything to me and I would do anything that I could to support my students.