Hello, my name is ...
I was born on September 20, 1989 in Oak Lawn, IL. My family bounced around for the first couple of years of my life from IL, Seattle, New Jersey and finally decided to make Wheaton, IL a place to plant our roots. From the age of four to this present moment at the age of twenty-two Wheaton has been all that I've known.
After having spent the last four years here in Kalamazoo, MI I've definitely taken notice of how sheltered I was growing up in Wheaton. Having spent my education at WMU studying Secondary Education I wouldn't go as far to say that I was naive on the lifestyles of people in other areas but that my perception of the education system wasn't remotely close to the harsh truth.
Growing up school was never a strong suite of mine. I was a slow starter and up until my second grade teacher, Mrs. Kern, figured me out I had carefully fallen through the cracks. Reading was my enemy. I just could not figure it out for the life of me. Unfortunately for me the curriculum was based entirely off of reading and writing. It didn't take long for Mrs. Kern to catch on to my reading tricks. Shortly after I was busted I joined a reading group that was offered within our elementary school. I'll always be thankful for Mrs. Kern and her incredible heart for taking notice of me and helping to guide me in the right path.
After having spent the last four years here in Kalamazoo, MI I've definitely taken notice of how sheltered I was growing up in Wheaton. Having spent my education at WMU studying Secondary Education I wouldn't go as far to say that I was naive on the lifestyles of people in other areas but that my perception of the education system wasn't remotely close to the harsh truth.
Growing up school was never a strong suite of mine. I was a slow starter and up until my second grade teacher, Mrs. Kern, figured me out I had carefully fallen through the cracks. Reading was my enemy. I just could not figure it out for the life of me. Unfortunately for me the curriculum was based entirely off of reading and writing. It didn't take long for Mrs. Kern to catch on to my reading tricks. Shortly after I was busted I joined a reading group that was offered within our elementary school. I'll always be thankful for Mrs. Kern and her incredible heart for taking notice of me and helping to guide me in the right path.
I've encountered some very difficult obstacles throughout my life. Some that I've been left asking myself what was the meaning behind it. Others in which I value tremendously for bringing me to where I am today. Oddly enough some of the hardest obstacles I've had to overcome were presented throughout my studies. I've come to believe that although we have a different identity in the various aspects of our life, the experiences and lessons learned in one area are shared with all areas. The writing assignments I've completed throughout my education as well as my journal entries written out of pure joy speak wonders of the very person that I was, am, and who I desire to become. As many have said before it is through our words that we bring meaning and power to our lives. The closer I get to completing my degree and beginning the next chapter in my life as a teacher I'm able to reflect and recognize how greatly my road of achieving my degree has impacted not only my life but as well as the writer in me.
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Over the last seventeen years I've had my fair share of instructors. Some of them I have to thank for having such a positive influence on my life, others in which I have to use as an example of the type of teacher I do not wish to become, and a few who simply didn't leave an impression at all. The purpose behind becoming a teacher isn't for the title and clearly not for the money. Someone who becomes a teacher has the heart and determination to make a difference on the lives they interact with. Unfortunately, during my time here at WMU I've experienced far too many teachers who've lost sight of their original purpose of the career they sought after.
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