Third-grade teacher enjoys building strong rapport with her students
March 18th, 2008, 9:55 pm Hobbies News
Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UW-Oshkosh.
Family: Husband, Jim; daughter, Aleah, 6; and son, Ben, 4
Pets: Two classroom frogs named Tom and Gilly and a turtle named Toby
Hobbies/Interests: Training for and competing in triathlons, scrapbooking, reading, traveling, playing with my children, watching Aleah’s gymnastic meets.
Extra-curricular activities involved with: I am currently serving on several committees in preparation of Sheboygan hosting the YMCA Gymnastics Nationals this June.
What made you decide to become an educator? I had some excellent teachers growing up that made school and learning fun. Because of them, I enjoyed being at school. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I strive to instill a love of learning in my students as those teachers did for me. For me, and probably many other teachers, being an educator isn’t just a career, it’s who I am. I really can’t imagine doing anything else.
Why do you like working with children? Children’s natural curiosity makes introducing new concepts exciting. It’s great to see their innocence and pride in making connections between ideas/skills and how to really use them. No two days or school years are exactly alike. Everyone is different. Each class is full of unique individuals that learn and perceive things differently. As the students are learning new things, I am learning new strategies or ways to reach each individual learner.
What do you do that goes above and beyond? I work with so many excellent teachers that I don’t really think I do anything “above or beyond” any of them. We all have different styles or ways of reaching the students in our classes. One thing I like to do is get to know the whole student and build a strong rapport with each individual. This may mean attending Saturday morning soccer games, hockey games, swim meets, etc. Or, it may just be a hug and some special attention to let the students know that I truly care for each of them. I also try to make learning real for my students. I try to provide them with opportunities to examine how the concepts they are learning are used in real life. I want my students to see the importance of learning, yet allow it to be fun too.
What has been your most rewarding experience as an educator? There are so many rewarding experience in this profession that it is hard to pick just one. Of course, there is always the feeling of pride when a former student lets you know that you have made a difference in their life. But I am motivated daily by the “little” rewards of watching the students’ faces light up when they “get it.”
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