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The beginning...
I was born into a family where educaiton was a priority and success was expected. My family included aunts, uncles, and grandparents who chose education as their career. -
Elementary School
As a second grader I started to struggle with math. My dad, son of a school teacher, helped me nightly with homework and always read to me. I was often frustrated with my dad when he would ask me what I didn't understand on my homework. I would reply, "I don't understand any of it!" He would encourage me to start working out the problem and let him know when I got stuck. I didn't realize it at the time, but he was using a very effective method of teaching with me. -
Middle School
Preoccupied with the social aspect of school insted of learning, I began to struggle in all areas of school. In reality I wasn't really struggling with mastering contenct, but merely turning in homework to show my teachers what I actually knew. I began to tell everyone who asked was that I HATED reading. I don't think I really hated reading, but I hated the books that I was forced to read for school. -
High School
My biology teacher in high school began to use "new" method of teaching. No longer was I forced to sit in my seat and listen to the teacher lecture. As a result of my teacher's enthusiasm for learning and teaching I became interested in a subject I had never cared about in the past. Mrs. Richwine, my high school bilogy teacher, integrated group work and discussions to teach us the required content. She also formed reltationship with her student's. This was a huge turning point in my life! -
A New High School
My dad's job relocated my family from Joplin, Mo to Palisade, Co. At the time of the relocation I was not doing very well in school. To my surprise, my new high school treated students as thoug we were in college. The teachers at my new school were facilitators of knowledge rather than the authoritative teachers I had had in the past. This hands off approach worked wonders and I became a straight A student. The learning was up to us and I no longer felt forced to complete "busy" work. -
High School Graduation
I graduated high school and my dad was transferred with his job again. My options for college were limited to places I was able to pay in-state tution. I moved to Kansas with my sister and gained in-state tution after a year.
Intially, I wanted to be a Social Worker, but after I began to nanny and volunteer at a my nephew's elementary school I chose teaching. -
College
After a year off from school I was ready to get started with my college educaiton. I was so eager to begin that I started my first college courses in the summer at Johnson County Community College. -
Introduction to Teaching
During my practicums I found that I had chosen a career I was passionate about. This course allowed me to spend time in elemtnary and middle school classrooms and I met a lot of great educators along the way. -
My First Year of Teaching
My first job was working in an inner city school in Kansas City, Ks. Our school was part of te Reading First Grant. As a result, I was trained in Kansas Accelerated Literacy Learning (KALL) and Reading First Balanced Literacy. The reading knowledge I learned in the three year I spent in the KCK puble school system would go on to help me in all of my future teaching positions. The reading coach at my school inspired me to start the Reading Specialist program. -
eMINTS Training
My first position in the North Kansas City School District was in an eMINTS classroom. I had never heard of eMINTS prior to taking the position, but was excited for the opportunity to add more knowledge to my craft. This was the first time I had instruction on creating and teaching in an inquiry based learning model. -
Workshop Model
North Kansas City Schools adopted the Workshop Model for all subjects, which has allowed me to use all fo the knowledge I gained from my eMINTS training. This model of teaching lends itself to inquiry-based learning. Effective implementation of the Workshop Modle in my classroom is a work in progress, but I am constantly learningmore and have found that this model meshes well with my theoretical orientation of having a student centered classroom.
