Grade/subject: Kindergarten at Maple Glen Elementary
Number of years teaching: Four.
Background/schooling: Avon High School and bachelor’s in elementary education from Ball State University.
Why did you become a teacher? I have always wanted to be a teacher. I loved my kindergarten teacher and she has always been an inspiration to me. I used to have my younger sisters as well as best friends play “school” with me when I was a child. I would give them games/activities that needed to be completed as well as tests that I would grade. My mom just recently sent me a photo of a paper she found where I had made an attendance roster for one of my make-believe classes.
What goals do you have for your students? There are two main goals that I have for my students. First is to grow a love for learning. I want my students to truly enjoy their experience in my classroom and have a feeling that learning is fun. My second goal for my students is for them to always do their personal best and have confidence in their abilities to achieve. I hold high expectations for my students and hope that they begin to have expectations for themselves. Being in kindergarten, I often hear my students say, “I don’t know how, I can’t,” when they are introduced to something new or unfamiliar. I then remind them that I know they can do it if they try and guide them through how to figure it out through something in their past experiences. Usually when they put forward their effort, they are able to do it and my response with a smile is, “See, you can do it!”
What do you encourage parents to do at home to help their children strengthen a particular skill? Parents are the child’s first teacher. The biggest thing that parents can do is be a participant in their child’s academics. When parents are involved and show interest with their classes, it shows their child that school/education is important. I always remind the parents in my class that you can be learning and teaching all the time just with everyday activities (example: asking what letters/words they see on a sign). My students are in kindergarten and the best way to learn is through real-world applications. I also encourage reading to children daily.
What is your favorite movie? I absolutely love movies of all types so I can’t pinpoint just one favorite. Comedies are my favorite genre.
Who is your favorite band or musician? Taylor Swift.
What is something your students might not know about you? In fifth grade I got first place at my school in the Optimist Oratorical Contest. The topic was “Optimism in My Life” and I wrote about the impact music has on me and how it influenced others as well.
