Arlissa Williams

Who I Am

I am Arlissa Williams. I am a sophomore at Old Dominion University majoring in elementary education. I grew up in Chesterfield, VA and graduated from Meadowbrook High School. I began teacher assisting in 5th grade and continued throughout middle school. In between after-schools practices, I volunteered to be a teaching assistant at a local elementary school. I currently work as a preschool teacher & I babysit part-time. I have a strong bond with my PreK and 2nd grade teacher and I can not wait to have that bond with my future students!

My Influencers

My parents are my biggest influencers and supporters. I was hesitant to tell my parents I switched for nursing to elementary education but they were beyond excited for me as they have seen the joy that student teaching brought me. My father went to the military out of high school before attending Virginia State University. My mother became a single mom when my father was deployed. My mother did not go to college but instead focused on becoming a stay at home mom before obtaining a job with the government. My father inspires me to get out of my comfort zone and be fearless, confident, and strong in any obstacle that comes my way. My mother showed me how educated and successful you can be despite getting a college degree. She encouraged me to do what’s best for myself and what I believe in.

Another one of my influences was my second grade elementary teacher, Ms. Williams. She was my first and only African American teacher. In 5th grade, I always tried to finish my class work early so I could go help Ms. Williams’s class. I would also skip lunch and recess as helping her students brought me joy. Her teaching brought me joy. She was smart, respectful, helpful, kind, and educated.

What I Know

I know patience. I know students learn at different paces. It is important to keep that in mind that some students need more one-on-one or instructions to different material. In different courses, I needed that extra one-on-one and was grateful of the teachers that listened and helped. Students are also raised differently and have different processing time. My current and past jobs have helped me be able to handle situations differently.
I know fun. I have been learning to step out my comfort zone and try new things with the children I work with. I also know fun in the means of making education fun.
I know creativity. I am big into DIYs & arts and crafts. I love to create new paintings/crafts with different colors. Creativity allows students to open their minds and widen their perspectives.
I know how to listen and understand. I can make a classroom feel warm and welcoming. I am able talk to that child that is having a tough time at home or school. I will listen, understand, and relate where I can so they know they are not alone.

What I Need To Learn

I need to learn how to ask for help.
I need to learn how to stand up for what I believe in.
I need to learn how to adapt to other cultures.
I need to learn how to have more confidence in my ability to teach.
I need to learn how to be more tech-savvy when teaching.
I need to learn how to nicely discipline bad behavior effectively.
I need to learn how to take time to myself.

The Teacher I Will Become

The teacher I will become will be Ambitious, Respectful, Loving, Inspirational, Supportive, Scholar, and an Advocate. In order for a class to be successful, I need to be ambitious. It is my job to motivate my students and let them know they can do anything they put their mind to. My father used to say "the sky is the limit, to what I can have" from a famous song called "I'm Looking For A Miracle" by The Clark Sisters. I will be respectful. Receiving respect is important to help people feel safe to express themselves. Respect builds trust, safety, and wellbeing. I will be loving and inspirational. I will inspire my students to believe in themselves and know the sky is the limit. I will be supportive. My students will be comfortable enough to talk to me about things and that our conversation will be between us. I will be a teacher first and foremost. I will not only teach them the standard learning requirements but to teach them about overcoming societies obstacles. I will teach my students to be good people in the society. My students are kind and respectful. While teaching, I want my students to enjoy learning. I will get to know my students so my classroom can feel as safe and comfortable as possible. My students will have trust in me which is very important. I will be thoughtful. I will have a student-centered classroom. Everyone will feel comfortable to share their opinion and ideas without judgement. A quote that will always live with me is to "treat people how I will challenge them to do their best. I want to make my students feel that they can conquer anything inside or outside the classroom. No matter their future career, I want my students to remember their elementary teacher and how much of an impact I made on their life.

Important Quotes:

"When one teaches, two learn." -Robert Heinlein

"Ambition is enthusiasm with a purpose." -Frank Tyger

"Our patience will achieve more than our force." -Edmund Burke

"Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." -Clint Eastwood

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." -George MacDonald

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says "I'm possible". -Audrey Hepburn

Comments

I agree with your statement in regard to what you need to learn and that is to ask for help. This is one of my weaknesses I struggle with because I feel that I have to always have the answer or know how, and I need to work on knowing that it is okay to ask for help. You have a great presentation of your work. Great job. Victoria Beasley

I like how you have a section for who influences you. I wish I thought of that. It was really cool that you bolded the first letter in your first sentence of The teacher I will become and it formed into your name! Something I can relate to is learning how to take time to yourself. I struggle with that being a full time student online and taking care of my daughter full time. Elizabeth Casallas

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