At first glance, becoming a teacher appeared a daunting task. Especially, since I had been out of high school for thirteen years. By the end of this year I will be fresh out of college and hopefully be asked to bring the knowledge I've learned to a classroom of around twenty students from pre-school age to fourth grade. As an educator I hope to encourage each child to be respectful and responsible members of the community. I will also be asked to teach them important material that will hopefully be relevant and meaningful long after my class. .
In high school I had a teacher that encouraged me to choose this career. It was through her teaching methods that I knew that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. And my main reason was to help those that struggled with reading just like I did. Fortunately, I had a wonderful teacher that encouraged me, and always told me that I was smart even though I did not think I was at the time. She was also the same teacher placed me in a school to work program, where I got my first job at a local Hallmark. I absolutely loved working there and they taught me so much. .
After high school I went right into college and attended UALR in Benton to start my first semester off working towards my teaching degree. But, unfortunately I was so burned out from high school and thought I needed a break, a break that lasted about two years, until I went back to school and gained my Associate Degree in Computer Information Systems I was happy doing this for a little while but my heart always came back to being a teacher.
When my husband and I married in 2002, I decided to start substituting for the Cabot School District and fell in love with being in the classroom and getting to watch those children grow. I also loved that when I would walk down the hallway they would want to stop just to give me a hug. After praying about it for some time and talking with my husband, I decided to go back and try to get the degree that I have wanted from the beginning.
