Kirsten Ruschaupt

My Journey to Becoming a Teacher 🌸

Wh0 I am

My name is Kirsten Ruschaupt. I am currently a junior at Old Dominion University. I grew up in Loudoun County my whole life and loved it. While growing up I got to be familiar with the world of teaching because my mom was a teacher for 28 years in Fairfax County Public Schools. I am very close with my family and they are truly the best support system. My grandmother is one of eighteen children and we are all a tight knit family, they have all helped shape who I am today. My mother was a ninth grade biology teacher and really impacted many students lives, it has inspired me to follow in that same career path. I am working towards my bachelors degree and hope to teach first grade someday!

What I know

I am still learning every single day, but every chance I get to learn something new I take it. The most important lesson I can pass down to my students one day is to show love, kindness, and respect. I have gathered this knowledge through a lot of real life experiences. Simply choosing kindness every day makes you a better human. It does not matter what gender, skin color, or what someone looks like, we all deserve respect and love. In my free time before the pandemic, I loved going to marches and protests to fight for things I believe in. I will never forget participating in the Women's March in Washington D.C. there was not only support surrounding me but love. The world needs more love, that is what I want my students to feel and share with peers.

What I have to learn

There are still many things I need to learn and will eventually learn throughout my journey of not only becoming but being a teacher. Something I will have to learn is that not all students are the same, paces are going to be different along the way, and that there isn't just one way to teach. I want to challenge myself to introduce my students to freedom of creativity. This may be a challenge when working with young children, but I hope if they feel that drawing, coloring, or writing is the best way that they can express the way they feel then I want to leave that option to them and that when they are in school or my classroom it is a safe space for being themselves.

Hello Kirsten, I enjoy reading your page and found the color scheme to be very pleasant. W