Who I Am

My name is Kellie Wiltrout, and I am a white, American female with ADHD. I am planning to be an elementary school teacher with an emphasis on teaching grades K-6. The things that have influenced me to be a teacher are the attitudes of my high school classmates when it comes to teachers, as well as the majority of media aimed at young kids shows teachers as being antagonistic, while the kids are the protagonists, and I desire to try and changed the preconceived notions about teachers while kids are still young in an attempt to show how teachers really are, so that maybe kids will have just a bit less animosity towards teachers later on in their school lives. I will do this by being a nice teacher that helps and support their students, showing them that teachers really are good, as they just want to help you.

What I Know

I know how to use applications such as Microsoft's PowerPoint and Word. I also know how to join a Zoom Meeting. I also know that everyone is different from each other and that everyone has their own background, as well as their own "journey" in life, which influences how they learn and grow. I also know that young kids are very rambunctious, and that teaching presents its own set of challenges.

What I Have To Learn

I still have to learn about how to actually make a proper Zoom Meeting. I also need to learn about the many things that I have to do to become the best teacher, such as helping students, actively engaging them, etc. As well as the more rigid parts of teaching, such as creating lessons for students, classroom organization, and how to properly teach students, as well as the many other things that teachers have to know I know that I will also need to work on making eye contact, as well as learning how to control the amount and frequency of talking I do, as I usually find myself monopolizing conversations.

The Teacher I Will Become

I believe that the purpose of school is to teach academics, as well as values such as responsibility and respect. I will become a teacher that teaches these aforementioned values in the classroom, and the students will learn them via various activities, such as educational songs and games. The philosophies that describe me the best are Pereniallism and Essentialism. The educational experiences that I will provide are experiences that focus on support and kindness, as well as a passion for teaching kids. The one word which best describes me as a teacher is respectful. One word that would best describe my students would be ambitious. If a visitor walked into my classroom, then they would see a bunch of students working dutifully. The educational experiences that I provide will be that of a gentle and kind teacher.

Four Tenents of Education and What I Believe In

Respect: I believe that the teachers and students should respect each other and themselves, as well as the other people in and around them. I would encourage students to understand that while everyone is different, they all deserve some respect.

Responsibility: I believe that students are responsible for their own actions and that it is very important to understand this. I will encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and to monitor their actions around others.

Individuality: I believe that every student is unique. I believe in helping students find out a bit about what makes them different from each other, or unique. I also want to encourage students to see what makes them similar to each other, o they are aware of their similarities and differences, and this could happen through playing and fun activities.

Kindness: I believe that it is important for young kids to be nice to each other, whether it is playing together, talking with each other, or just generally being nice in class. I believe that this skill is needed throughout life when interacting with others.