Strengths

I just began taking collegiate education courses a little over two months ago. I am nowhere near ready to jump into full time teaching and have not yet had the full experiences I hope to have before I do have my own classroom. However, I believe that upon entering the teaching field I come with a few strengths that can only grow stronger in the upcoming years. According to Grant and Gillette there are 10 main actions that all teachers need to experience in order to become more effective teachers. I believe I come to the table with major strengths in two main categories: "Get experience with all types of learners and their families," as well as “Volunteer in, or join, an organization; get involved in a group comprised of people who are significantly different than you.”

1. "Get Experience with all Types of Learners and Their Families:"

As seen in "The Journey Begins" blog post, I spent two years working at a local Boys and Girls Club. I know I was able to work with many different types of students through this experience. Including students with ADHD, Auspergers Disease, students who are poverty stricken, as well as students who come from very traditional middle class homes. I also gained experience working with autistic children due to the fact that two of my three nephews have autism.

I remember the fist time I really understood how autism effected my oldest nephew. He loved meeting new people and definitely loved talking to people he had just met. However, one day my family threw a big Easter party. My nephew knew absolutely everyone at the party - he had met them before, but as soon as the first group of party-goers arrived my nephew ran to the back bedroom and began crying. I followed him. I sat down next to him and asked "what's wrong?" I was absolutely shocked when he said "there are too many people." At first I wanted to just say "but you love talking to people," but for some reason I knew this would not be the best way to respond. So, I sat there in silence for a minute or two while my nephew kept mumbling "too many, I'm scared," under his breath. Finally, I looked at my nephew and asked "are you scared of Uncle Ted?" He said no. So, I asked "Are you scared of Aunt Julie?" He said no. I went through every name at the party and he responded "no" to each one. At the end I looked at him and said "so what are you scared of?" He stopped for a minute, thinking. Then looked at me and said "nothing" in an excited voice. Before I could say anything else, my nephew had jumped up and ran into the living room. He immediately started singing and telling jokes to everyone he could find. He was the life of the party.

My Nephew Andrew (age 6) and Myself.

It was this particular experience with my nephew that helped me realize everyone needs something different. He needed someone to talk him through the situation. He needed a little guidance to help overcome his fear. It was on this day, that I began to think about how each of my students at the Boys and Girls Club also needed different things. Some needed to be talked to in a nice, calm manner. While, others really needed someone to be strict with them before they were willing to follow the rules or do their work. All students are different. All I have to do is figure out how to reach each one individually.

2. Volunteer in, or join, an organization; get involved in a group comprised of people who are significantly different than you:

Over the past two years I have participated in several different volunteer organizations including Americorps, The Boys and Girls Club, and independently volunteered as a teacher and drama director for three months in Lima, Peru. I am also currently a member of the National Council of Teacher's of English.

During my three months in Peru is when I first began to think about teaching as a potential career. I went to Peru expecting to provide some theatrical voluntary services. Within a few weeks, I found myself teaching English, Art and Drama in a small public elementary school right in Lima. I even led an after-school drama club for any students who wished to remain.

I remember being frightened of teaching Drama in Spanish. I knew a great deal of theatrical warm-up games, I had great lesson ideas and knew of great ways to implement them. But this time everything was in Spanish. Could I really lead a typical English warm-up in Spanish? To my surprise it worked better than I would ever have imagined. One of my sixth grade classes immediately jumped into our first ad-lib activity and created stories based on "a day in the life of a Lima student." They had so much energy and were also excited and extremely creative. Typically, this same level in the United States would need more prodding before they would jump into such a risky activity. It was truly one of the best experiences to see how happy drama made these students and how creative they could be. They were so creative, the school decided to make a special public viewing of the plays we practiced.

I love volunteering to work with children. Through my time in Peru, as well as my time with Americorps and the Boys and Girls Club, I find myself hoping that within 5-10 years I can spend a year or two serving students who need good teachers in South America. I would love to go back to Peru or visit another South American country in order to spend more time experiencing South American school systems and helping students to develop both intellectually and creatively.

(Right) 3rd grade Drama Club rehearsal at Senor De Los Milagros Elementary, Lima, Peru.

(Bottom) My first grade Art class at Senor De Los Milagros Elementary.