I always wanted to be a teacher, but my interests are very broad. Deciding on the subject that I wanted to specialize in was difficult. After long consideration, I finally decided that going with my finished English education certification (I was working on social studies and science, as well) to teach literacy of all types might be the best way to engage students in a variety of subjects. (I regularly incorporate history, sociology, psychology, mathematics, science and economics into my curriculum.) I chose English because of its inherent holistic possibilities. My feeling is that a mindful teacher of English/Language Arts can help students to realize the myriad ways in which words can be linked; how they can change each other’s meaning in minutiae; the ways that these slight alterations of meaning can help to bring the world around all of us into a clearer focus. It is at this point of branching and recursive growth of understanding when people see the use of all the activities and reading that they found “pointless” before. The foundation of meaning, constructed with the brick-and-mortar of language, has allowed us to put events together to form histories of great empires, interpretations of chemical reactions, critical evaluations of political issues, arguments for certain moral viewpoints, and theoretical deliberations upon the beginnings of the universe. In my view, the study of language is the road upon which the useful application of human intelligence to the real world begins and ends.
I feel that empathy is an underrepresented trait in modern education. At my first job, In West Virginia, my Freshman Academy spent a significant portion of each year working on a character-building charitable project. My class always combined my persuasion unit with an event to raise money and awareness for poverty-stricken children in Africa (in the fall), and The Invisible Children of Uganda (in the spring). Having a real purpose was always a great motivator for the students to gather and absorb educational resources in a way that I don’t think would be possible under more traditional learning situations. Empathy can be an amazing force for change—both in the student’s character, and in their educational mindset.
In summary, I am a generalist who believes in the consilience of knowledge and character, and I have made that philosophy a major focus in my classroom, as it is in our school. I am excited at the prospect of being involved in the future of Manhattan Middle School. I feel positive that I have chosen the life that will give me the most satisfaction—the life of an educator.
I feel that empathy is an underrepresented trait in modern education. At my first job, In West Virginia, my Freshman Academy spent a significant portion of each year working on a character-building charitable project. My class always combined my persuasion unit with an event to raise money and awareness for poverty-stricken children in Africa (in the fall), and The Invisible Children of Uganda (in the spring). Having a real purpose was always a great motivator for the students to gather and absorb educational resources in a way that I don’t think would be possible under more traditional learning situations. Empathy can be an amazing force for change—both in the student’s character, and in their educational mindset.
In summary, I am a generalist who believes in the consilience of knowledge and character, and I have made that philosophy a major focus in my classroom, as it is in our school. I am excited at the prospect of being involved in the future of Manhattan Middle School. I feel positive that I have chosen the life that will give me the most satisfaction—the life of an educator.