In the Beginning...

I started this blog at the beginning of my career as a teacher candidate in the esteemed curriculum and instruction program at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. While there, I grew from a student into an advocate for constructivist learning, a facilitator of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, an explorer of methodologies, and a warrior for children. In other words, a teacher. JSU presented me with opportunities to "practice what I preach" in various school systems in northeastern Alabama including Calhoun County, Oxford City, Jacksonville City, and Gadsden City Schools. Not only was I able to experience students across a wide range of grades (prekindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, and fourth grade) I was encouraged to try new methods of classroom management, instructional strategies, and assessment all while having a solid support system of veteran teachers and professionals. I was able to truly discover what I believe to be true as an educator and practices that back up those beliefs. During my time at JSU, I also participated in a teacher assessment tool called edTPA. According to the edTPA website, “edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by more than 600 teacher preparation programs in some 40 states to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from Day 1 in the classroom.”  This assessment was an incredible journey for me because it really tested my beliefs and practices as an educator and made me realize the importance of intentionality in everything I do in a classroom. I explained more about this journey in my I PASSED edTPA! Blog.
Granddaddy and Grandmother at their
50th wedding anniversary party
During my time at Jacksonville State University, I started a family. My son, Jack, is now two and this Christmas with be my seventh one spent with my outstanding, incredible, puts-up-with-my-crazy ways Ryan. Growing up I was never a kid that "played jobs". I didn't pretend to be a doctor. I never aspired to be a witty lawyer or an esteemed author. This little ginger kid always dreamed of growing up to be a mom. To have a family of my own to take care of and love unconditionally. I had a very supportive mom and dad growing up and they always made sure I had everything I needed. They took me on adventures to museums, national parks, zoos, aquariums, and all different little places in the South. They were always there for me and I dreamed of giving my own kids those adventures and that sense of stability. I also dreamed of finding a love like my grandparents had. You will never meet two souls more in love than my Granddaddy and Grandmother were. Seven kids, twenty-two years in the United States Air Force, and over fifty years of marriage later and my grandparents were still head-over-heels crazy for each other. I wanted someone to look at the way Grandmother looked at Granddaddy. I wanted someone to look at me the way Granddaddy looked at Grandmother. I never thought I would find that love in my 10th-grade year of high school or that six years later a normal night would consist of fixing dinner to the ever-present tune ofTransformers Rescue Bots while our toddler runs laps around the house and I have curriculum spread out all over the counter. My family means the world to me and every class of children I work with become part of that family.
Me, Ryan, and Jack Easter Sunday 2017



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

EED 509 Module 2 Inquiry Based Learning Model Tool Review

Image
The Inquiry model of instructional design allows our students to build their own knowledge and understanding through engaging, student-led activities. Teachers give students the opportunity to explore, question, explain, and extend their world and education into new places. For more on the Inquiry model of instructional design, see my Smore presentation:  The Inquiry Model: A Process-Oriented Instructional Model. Documentation is an important aspect of inquiry-based learning because our students need to be able to express their findings in a way that is easily communicable to others. This not only will increase their understanding of the content because it requires explanation but it also allows them to experience meaningful communication of ideas that is critical in our society.  Educreations is a digital tool used to capture, share, and replay information. This program is an app for Apple devices and requires little technological knowledge in order to use. The ba...
Read more

What is 21st Century Teaching and Learning?

Image
I used to think that the term "21st Century Teaching and Learning" meant using technology. It meant that my students were somehow using a computer or tablet to do something. That something could have simply been using the calculator app instead of the actual calculator that was sitting, abandoned, in a closet. I thought that because that's what many teachers thought it was when I was in school. The "21st Century skills" movement came about when I was in middle/high school and I can honestly remember teachers being heavily praised for making us take tests on the computer or using an app instead of a calculator. I am not saying that to disrespect any of my teachers because they were just doing what they were taught. It was only later that this trend in education developed into something truly beneficial for students, teachers, and our society. In my opinion, 21st Century Teaching and Learning is the process of teaching students life skills they will need in our...
Read more

AMSTI Preservice Training - Science

I completed AMSTI Year 1 science preservice training for the fourth grade the week of January 30th through February 3rd, 2017, with Mrs. Tara Hood. We started training Monday morning by dissecting the Next Generation Science Standards as well as the practice standards for fourth grade. I found it beneficial that Mrs. Hood took the time during the week to also point out when and where we were addressing the practice standards because it helped me to visualize them as activities and processes instead of simply a list of abstract skills. This has also helped me in planning my STEM challenge for my practicum class in that I can more easily implement these skills in multiple ways now having seen them both in AMSTI training and in class with Dr. Troncale. In addition, we spent time Monday morning discussing the science journals we would be using throughout the week. We were provided with composition books to use and Mrs. Hood modeled for us how to set up multiple features within the notebo...
Read more