About Me

When I graduated from high school, I went to college I wanted them to make me a teacher. I learned that no institution can make a person anything; we all make choices to become who we are.

In college I received the education to qualify me as a teacher, but I don’t think I was ready to teach. I spent two years after college as a substitute teacher. Those two years were difficult. I learned several of my weaknesses in discipline mostly. And after two years I decided that I wouldn’t be good in the classroom for that reason. At the same time I was volunteering at a church as a technology coordinator. My job was to create multi-media that would be used to support the teaching of the morning. This included video clips, creating PowerPoint backgrounds and presentations, and video editing. I reasoned that if I couldn’t be in the classroom, then supporting talented teachers was close enough. I then began a graduate program in Instructional Technology.

After that I made two moves related to ministry opportunities in new churches. During these assignments I learned that leadership more than anything means relationships and that building relationships is an easier way to get things done than by demanding they be done.

Currently I work as a security officer at a small university where I get to see how different discipline methods work in situations. The biggest part of my job is to enforce rules. I also volunteer in community theatre which has taught me lessons about presentation and how to build community between people. It is my hope that when I step into a classroom again, I will be able to put these lessons into practice and create a dynamic learning environment where students are given opportunities to succeed under a teacher who genuinely cares about them and their success both in the classroom and in life.

Personal Philosphy

I believe that good classroom managerment begins with three key components: respect between teacher and students as well as students with each other, consistency in disciplne so everyone knows both the expectations and consequences of actions, and quality instruction that draws in all students.

Resume

Though one sheet of paper can't articulate all my experiences, this is a basic resume to get an overview of my qualifications for a teaching position.

Selections from a Case Study

For my Classroom Management and Behaviour class, I took a case study and wrote what I think a teacher should do in a given situation.