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 in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education-English (7-12). Following my education at SRU, I attended Gannon University for my master's in Curriculum and Instruction through 2020. I am currently enrolled in SRU in hopes of receiving my Principal's Certificate in the near future. After graduating from SRU in May of 2018, I received a full-time position at the Fairview School District, specifically the middle school, as a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher. I have held this position for five years now. In addition to teaching, I coach middle school girls' volleyball, am an advisor for 7th & 8th grade student council, host after-school exploratories, am a member of the apple training team, and play a major role in event planning within my school.
2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.
My greatest memory from the time I spent in the education program at SRU simply surrounds my student teaching placement as well as the positive relationships I was able to establish with my professors. A major reason I wanted to go into teaching was to build connections with students that would, in turn, encourage them to be the best versions of themselves. I was able to do this as I had an amazing experience throughout my placement at Laurel Jr./Sr. High School and with the help of the caring and supportive professors throughout my time there, which is a major reason I chose to re-enroll in SRU for my next certification.
3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.
There are two faculty members at SRU who greatly impacted my time there. First, my advisor and professor, Dr. John Hicks, was very real with his stories and advice, kind, and believed in me throughout my entire time establishing myself as an up-and-coming teacher. Similarly, my professor and cooperating teacher, Dr. Junko Yamamoto, made me feel empowered and confident as I continued to grow and learn what teaching style worked best for myself. I appreciate the efforts and lengths both faculty members went to make me the teacher I am today.
4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?
In high school, I had an English teacher who completely changed my perspective on the classroom and the power in sharing my thoughts through writing. This teacher was interactive, engaging, and passionate. Most importantly, he cared about each and every one of his students beyond the content. For this reason, I knew I wanted to make students feel just as valued as he made the students that went through his classroom feel. Here I am today, many years later, trying to do the same thing in my ELA classroom.
5. What do you love most about teaching?
My favorite part about teaching is the students. At the beginning of each year, I feel a mix of sadness and nervousness, for I miss my previous year's students. Nonetheless, every year I realize I have so much more love and compassion to give to the next group of students who I enjoy equally as much as the year before. I love the connections I build by encouraging my students to share their thoughts and pumping them up to share, reflect, and grow with me throughout the school year.
6. What makes a great teacher?
A great teacher is more than a great lesson planner. A great teacher, as I have shared in many of my answers above, is a teacher who can build connections with all of his or her students. Prioritizing connections alongside the curriculum is what sets apart a good teacher from a great one. In my opinion, everyone can learn to create technology-based and innovative lessons. However, it takes a special person to be able to relate and genuinely care about the students in front of him or her.
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