Dakota Overman 

My name is Dakota Overman, I am 22 years old. I am majoring in Elementary education at ODU. I graduated from Thomas Nelson with my Associate's degree in Social Science. Since I was a child I have always dreamed of being a teacher. Whether it teaching art, music, math, science, or basically anything that has to do with teaching others in a positive way I'm here for it. Growing up I lived in a loving home with two parents and an older brother. I wouldn't say I went through a lot at a young age but I defiantly went through some challenging times whether it be at school or at home. In school, I always had teachers that were in my corner and helped me through things I was dealing with. I had to grow up when I was a child and I feel that that shaped me in a way where I am very independent and fight for the things I want in life. I think I pushed to become a teacher so much because I know that having a teacher that shows she cares makes you feel like you are worth something in this world. I want my future students to feel like they can come to me with anything and they know that they are safe with me. 

What I know

I know that I have a lot to learn. I also know that having an influential teacher is such an important thing. As a teacher, you want to make your kids feel wanted. You want your students to come to you with anything they are facing and be able to tell you so you as a teacher can help them. Teaching isn't going to be an easy task but I am up for the challenge and hope that I can influence my future students in a positive way. 

What I have to learn

There are so many things that I have to learn. Although soon I will be teaching in my own classroom I am still going to be learning on a daily basis. There will always be things that I need to learn to better myself, my teaching skills, and my students. I will learn new things from my students every day. To be a successful teacher I defiantly need to learn how to manage a classroom that way my students have a relaxing learning space. I will make sure to connect one on one with my students and connect with them as a whole. There is more to teaching than just test scores and passing. If a child looks back on all their teachers I want to be the one that stood out to them the most. I know there will be tough days and there will be days where I feel like I'm really kicking this teacher thing in the butt, but I'm ready for every challenge I have to face. 

The teacher I will become 

I believe that the purpose of school is for students to have a safe place to come and learn. School isn't about passing all the tests and having the highest score it's about finding your way in life and learning important skills for life. I think that the most important things my students will learn will be how to develop social skills and how to navigate through life skills. I know it is important to learn math, science, and history but I also think that they have a lot more to learn than just that. I want to teach my students through hands-on activities rather than just paper pencil work. I plan to interact with my students as a whole and in a positive way. I want them to work in small groups and rotate those groups often that way they work with different students, face different challenges, and get an outlook on everyone's opinions. One teaching I will follow is Essentialism. This philosophy describes me as a teacher because I want to focus on essential knowledge but also on cultural literacy. Existentialism will describe my student because I wasn't them to be independent and think with their own minds. this philosophy I describe my students as this philosophy because I want them as individuals to create their own purpose in life. I want my students to know that they are more than what their culture defines them as and as a teacher I will insure they always remember that. They will learn that they may think their way is the only right way, but there are actually other ways to understand the same information. I want my students to feel that they are all included and are all equal. 

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