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1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.
I received my high school diploma from Hershey High School in 2016. Following high school, I attended Slippery Rock University and majored in Secondary English Education. During my time at Slippery Rock, I taught summer school at Annville Elementary for 3rd grade and was also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and Order of Omega. In 2020, I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Education and became a daily substitute teacher at Hershey Middle School. While I was working one day, I received a call about a long-term substitute position at Donegal High School in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. I came to Donegal, eventually received a full time position, and have been here ever since. Currently I teach 9th/10th grade Sci-Fi and Horror, 11th/12th grade Journalism, and 9th grade Writing Seminar. In addition to teaching, I serve as an advisor for two clubs: Link Crew and Student Council. I also just finished up my master's degree in Secondary English Education at Slippery Rock in July.
2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.
One SRU experience that I will never forget was when my student teaching experience at Shenango High School was cut short due to COVID-19. Luckily, I was able to teach in person with my awesome co-op for a few months before the world shut down in March. I will never forget this experience because it was unsettling not knowing what would happen next and was extremely difficult to understand or even know what direction education would take.
Despite these negative feelings, the entire situation taught me so many incredible lessons. For instance, I learned about a plethora of different online tools that I continue to use today. I learned how to be flexible and how to adapt to situations that are out of my control (something that happens every day in the classroom). I also learned how to accommodate; whether it was differentiating a lesson online or giving a student a brain break, I learned that each student has independent needs. This was a learning experience that made me realize there will always be changes and will always be something new in education; that is what makes teaching so awesome!
3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.
It is extremely hard to pick one faculty member who had a positive influence on me. Dr. Permenter, Dr. Covey, Dr. Pitard, Dr. Oldakowski, and Dr. Hogue, have all shaped me into the teacher I am today. They inspired my love for literature, encouraged me to use my voice and speak up, and motivated me to get good grades and succeed.
Dr. Hicks has had the greatest influence on me, though. He was my advisor as well as my professor for many of my undergraduate and graduate classes. He was an incredible support system and was an even better professor; he made it look easy. I aspired to have his confidence and laid-back demeanor while teaching. He influenced me to build strong relationships with my students first before diving into content. I will always remember his classes and what they taught me.
4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?
To be honest, whenever I was a freshman at Slippery Rock I was an Athletic Training major. I knew that I wanted to be around high school kids and interact with them on a regular basis; however, I thought that Athletic Training would be the best way for me to do that. I ended up hating Athletic Training, specifically anatomy (I did not do too well), and switched to become a General Education major. I took a few classes that I thought I would be interested in. Once I took Introduction to Education, though, I instantly fell in love. I switched my major right away and chose English as my concentration. I have 0 regrets and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
5. What do you love most about teaching?
In this amazing job, I am able to:
-Be my true, energetic self each and every day (and have fun!)
-Get to know my students and build relationships with them.
-Learn something new, whether it is from a colleague, a student, or from Googling a question that was asked.
-Be creative with the content and make my very own materials.
-Teach real life lessons and have discussions that the students take to heart.
Teaching is a lot and it is certainly not easy. Because it is so challenging, it is so much more rewarding when you have that moment that clicks for you and your students. You take a look around and you feel everything you have accomplished - you have a classroom of your own and a group of students who are there to hear what you have to say. It is exhausting, but I could not imagine my life any other way.
6. What makes a great teacher?
I consider a great teacher to be someone who prioritizes building relationships over content, someone who is genuinely interested and excited to teach the content that they are teaching, and someone who does not know the answer to everything. A great teacher also sets boundaries for themselves - a very important concept to have a healthy work-life balance and to avoid burnout. Teachers who TikTok are also great, so, follow my teacher TikTok - @missferrarasroom :)
