Related Experience and Special Skills

Teaching, Leading, and Serving!

In addition to building into the lives of kids, my faith is very important to me. I am involved in my church. I am regularly involved in growing children’s relationships with God and lifting up the needs of the community in prayer.

I have also attended six leadership gatherings over the past few years at my local church. I desire to be a good leader and influencer. I have gained valuable insights into leading, such as: more awareness of my own personality and gifts; bringing out the skills of others and encouraging their growth; and living fearlessly.

Working with the Poor and Homeless in Chicago

In the Spring of 2019, I had the opportunity to attend a service-learning trip called Urban Plunge with my school, Rochester University. We visited Chicago and worked with a non-profit called Just Embrace. We learned about the concepts of Restorative Generosity, Restorative Inclusivity, and Restorative Hospitality as we worked with the poor and homeless of Chicago. I hope to bring the basis of these ideas into my classroom; they are applicable to the the values of kindness, respect, and equity. Some of the other organizations we served with include Chicago Lights and The Night Ministry.

Aunt Emilie's Summer Tutoring

In the summer of 2020, I tutored my nephew for about an hour each day. In order to give him extra support before his third grade year, I wanted to dig deeper into concepts like multiplication and reading strategies. I worked with my nephew in the areas of reading, writing, and math; we also spent some time in science concepts such as magnetic force, polymers, gravity, and lift. The picture to the left displays the poetry panel of my nephew's completed Bloomball project. In this project, I engaged my nephew in various activities centered on Blooms higher order questions; we focused on story elements like plot, setting, and conflict, as well as character changes and theme.

I also tutored my twin niece and nephew in the summer of 2020. They are now in kindergarten. My nephew and niece completed various tasks and games centered on letter names and sounds, sight words, number recognition, and fine motor skills. We also went outdoors regularly for gross motor and cross-curricular activities such as long jump, walking in shapes and playing ball.

Strategies and Tips for Online Teaching

In the summer of 2020, I was hired to teach with a company called VIPKid. VIPKid is an educational company that focuses on ESL instruction. I was hired to teach English as a Second Language to elementary age students in China. I gave it a good college try, but didn't acquire enough bookings to stay with the company. I did, however, receive invaluable training in ESL instruction and online teaching.

There are several critical remote teaching techniques I gleaned from this experience. First, I learned not to have an open room behind me when I teach. An interesting, educational background will help set the ethos for the class. It is preferable to have a functional background, perhaps one with a whiteboard or bulletin board. Second, I learned to use TPR often. This is especially useful when we're all feeling Zoom fatigue because it gets students moving and helps to eliminate the screen. Third, I learned to value students' humanity over completing a task. It is imperative for students to know that we care, to really feel seen. COVID has brought us into a very isolating season, and I believe there is nothing of greater importance than to attend to our students' humanity.

Below is a picture I took for my sister of me getting ready for my first day of pre-student teaching. By then, I had changed my background to match the age group and setting that I would be engaging. I felt well-equipped to teach and truly reach my students after my experience this summer.