My Story
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Although my family did not have a history of educators, my passion was for working with children. Growing up with four kids in my family, I always loved teaching my two younger siblings.
When I got to college, I was torn between counseling and teaching. I switched my major a few times, but then I got a job working for School Age Care through the YMCA. This job positively influenced my life in several ways.
First of all, I gained many close friendships with my co-workers. The particular school I worked at had never gained a good reputation for its after school care. They never passed compliance with the state on the first try, the staff turnover rate was very high, and there were some tough kids. There were about four of us who worked very hard to change this program. We collaborated our strengths to provide positive experiences for these children.
Secondly, I formed relationships with the school staff. The principal was one of the most supportive people I have ever met. He backed our decisions, believed in our abilities, and made it well-known that he appreciated our efforts. The teachers also acknowledged the changes and provided us with many helpful tips!
Watching the same group of children grow from Kindergarten through Third Grade was fascinating to me! It was during this time that I knew that chose the right profession. It was also during this time that I couldn’t wait to start my journey!
Although my licensure is for Grades 1-9, I have always had a soft spot for the little ones. J My first student teaching placement was in First Grade, and I had a very influential cooperating teacher. She gave me so many great strategies and ideas, but she also encouraged me to implement my own techniques.
When I attended the Employment Conference through UW-L before graduation, each speaker spoke of our minimal chances of procuring a job in education. In fact, their focuses were not on being optimistic, but rather what we could do to maintain our skills when we didn’t get a job. This was completely disheartening! However, I decided that I would not let this stop me. I applied for almost every single job posting that I was qualified for in the state of Wisconsin.
When it got to be the middle of July, and I hadn’t gotten a single interview, I was beginning to lose hope. However, one day, I received both a phone call and an email that secured two job interviews! Realizing that one of them was for first grade was very exciting. The moment I got the job offer from Osceola was the most thrilling moment in my life!
Professional Vision Statement
As an educator, it is my goal to provide my students with a learning environment in which they feel safe to learn and grow both socially and academically. My hope is that I offer my students the strategies, knowledge, and skills necessary to becoming life-long learners so they are able to pursue their life goals.
SMART Goals
- I will research and implement best practice strategies for struggling readers so that 85% of my students are at or above the grade-level benchmark at the end of the year.
- I will examine the Units of Study curriculum resources in order to create a skills outline correlating to each specific lesson.
- I will research the importance of the social and emotional curriculum and implement best practice strategies, with success measurable by student surveys, so that I can understand and creatively execute practices that encourage both individual and classroom social growth.
