Kayla Dean 

Hi Everyone, My name is Kayla Dean and I am a sophomore here at Old Dominion University. My Major is Elementary Education. I was born in the city of  Virginia Beach and have been there since! I first began my path to teaching in high school where I was involved in a program called Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow. This program allowed me to go to elementary school classes and observe the classroom and how it flows throughout a normal school day. This experience fueled my desire to become a teacher!! 

My Influences:

Education has always been there for me when I needed stability the most. Throughout my life, I have overcome many obstacles that have shaped me into the person that I am today. The teacher that had the most influence on me would be my middle school and high school teacher Mrs. Dobak. During the lowest point of my childhood, Mrs. Dobak noticed me struggling and took me under her wing. She began doing regular checks ups making sure I was doing okay not only in the classroom but on a personal level as well. My experience with Mrs. Dobak improved my academic performance and laid the foundation for my teaching philosophies. 

What I know 

What I have to learn

As an individual new to the teaching field, the knowledge that I have yet to come across is bound to happen. Though the knowledge will come with time, there are still certain aspects I can work on known in order to improve my journey towards the teaching field.  For instance, technology is one aspect i need to improve on in order to enhance the learning in my classroom. Also, improving my time management skills will allow to improve tremendously because time in a classroom is extremely crucial in order to make sure the students are learning at a pace that suits them. 

The teacher I will become

I imagine myself being the type of teacher that all my students look forward to attending my class every day. The classroom will consist of comfortable but collaborative seating in order to induce collaboration and shy away from the feeling of being alone.  My lesson plans will be centered around group assignments and personal assignments in order to fuel students to complete their assignment. By the assignment being personal the student can choose what best interests them in order to for the student to learn to the best to their abilities. The teaching philosophies that would best describe me as a teacher would be Humanism and Liberalism. Humanisim is important because this philosophy centers around the needs of the students. It creates a safe passionate environment for students to validate their feelings while learning. Also the teaching philosophy, Liberalism allows learners to some freedom to choose their path while allowing them the opportunity to acquire knowledge. These philosophies are extremely significant not only for me as a teacher but for my future students that will be in my future classroom. 

 What one word best describes you as a teacher? :

-Paintbrush

What one word best describes your students? 

-Canvas

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