I was the child who was determined that I was not going to follow in my parents’ footsteps when I went off to college. I didn’t want to be a teacher, I wanted to go in a different direction and was determined to make my own path. I went to college and graduated with a degree in Finance and Economics, then worked in the field for a while where I never found joy in what I was doing. Fast-forward 20 years, and here I am, an educator working towards obtaining my Masters in Education.
Growing up, I saw the passion that my parents had for their work and the difference they made in so many lives over the years. It was at my father’s funeral when I was 17 years old that I was able to see just how far his service to the children of our small community had really meant to so many. My mother retired in 2017 after 48 years of teaching in the same school. She was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2018 and passed away just two months later. Seeing the impact that both of my parents had on their students and the community. Twenty years have passed since my dad has been gone and I still have people telling me how much they loved both of my parents and what they did to change their lives in a positive way.
On top of taking care of my own classroom, I am also a part of our school’s Building Leadership Team where I assist in making decisions and discuss matters that arise within the school. I was also chosen to be the lead fourth grade teacher for the district and have the responsibility of leading district level meetings for all fourth grade teachers and share any information with them as we work together to improve our instruction and share ideas with each other. I have enjoyed getting the opportunities to learn more and be part of improving processes for not only my school, but the district as well.
I currently work in a school where there are 15 different languages spoken and many of those students are just coming to the United States and have a difficult time communicating. It has been while working with these students that I have had the desire to work towards my degree in helping all English Language Learners. These are the students that I want to be able to help the most and what I have learned throughout my time at the University of Kansas will help me understand how my students learn and the best ways to teach them. Even though I have only been teaching for a couple of years, I can tell that this is what I’m meant to do in life. I have loved every moment of it and enjoy seeing the progress that my students make and the spark that lights up when you notice that they finally understand a new concept. I look forward to my career as an educator and furthering my education in order to help not only myself, but also for all of the students I will have in the future.
Growing up, I saw the passion that my parents had for their work and the difference they made in so many lives over the years. It was at my father’s funeral when I was 17 years old that I was able to see just how far his service to the children of our small community had really meant to so many. My mother retired in 2017 after 48 years of teaching in the same school. She was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2018 and passed away just two months later. Seeing the impact that both of my parents had on their students and the community. Twenty years have passed since my dad has been gone and I still have people telling me how much they loved both of my parents and what they did to change their lives in a positive way.
On top of taking care of my own classroom, I am also a part of our school’s Building Leadership Team where I assist in making decisions and discuss matters that arise within the school. I was also chosen to be the lead fourth grade teacher for the district and have the responsibility of leading district level meetings for all fourth grade teachers and share any information with them as we work together to improve our instruction and share ideas with each other. I have enjoyed getting the opportunities to learn more and be part of improving processes for not only my school, but the district as well.
I currently work in a school where there are 15 different languages spoken and many of those students are just coming to the United States and have a difficult time communicating. It has been while working with these students that I have had the desire to work towards my degree in helping all English Language Learners. These are the students that I want to be able to help the most and what I have learned throughout my time at the University of Kansas will help me understand how my students learn and the best ways to teach them. Even though I have only been teaching for a couple of years, I can tell that this is what I’m meant to do in life. I have loved every moment of it and enjoy seeing the progress that my students make and the spark that lights up when you notice that they finally understand a new concept. I look forward to my career as an educator and furthering my education in order to help not only myself, but also for all of the students I will have in the future.