Greetings! Welcome to my journey as a first year teacher! I will begin my internship this August at Bearden High School teaching 9th and 12th grade English. I’ve known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a teacher, and I honestly feel that some things in life choose you. English has always been a subject in which I have excelled and enjoyed. In middle school, I learned every preposition in alphabetical order, and I could tell you what part of speech any given word was in a sentence. I loved reading and writing, unlike many of my peers, and have always had the desire to share my knowledge of the subject. I also feel that because of this desire I could present the subject of English in a way that would interest students who might not normally be interested. A career in teaching appeals to me primarily because of its capacity to change lives and influence young people in a positive way. I think every person in life has had that one teacher that really made a difference in his or her life, and for me that was every single English teacher I ever had. I hope to be that inspiration and guiding force for my students not only for their sake but also for my own, as teaching brings a great deal of joy and fulfillment to my life.
While earning my bachelor’s degree in English, I had the opportunity to work at the University of West Florida’s Writing Lab and work with college students on their papers and grammar on a daily basis. Many of these students were fresh out of high school with very little knowledge of how to construct a proper paper with good grammar. I taught lessons daily to groups of 15 students, tutored students individually, and interactively worked with students on their papers. Additionally, I assisted in a 12th grade English class for eight months even though this was not required for my particular degree. I taught many lessons and worked with students on developing their senior theses. Aside from my experiences with youth in an academic setting, my husband and I have also been youth/student pastors for over two years, so interacting with and helping young people is a big part of our lives aside from our careers.
Although lately I have not had a lot of free time for hobbies and personal interests, I very much enjoy hiking in the mountains, ballroom dancing, and figure skating. Traveling to foreign countries has also been a big part of my life. So far, I’ve been to six countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Argentina, Germany, and Canada. I’m currently learning Russian through a private tutor in hopes of spending a summer in Moscow after I graduate. Other than that, I love spending time with friends and family and visiting my hometown of Pensacola, FL because it has the most beautiful beaches in the world.
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