Faith Dutch

Who I Am...

My name is Faith Dutch and I am 19 years old as well as a current Sophomore at ODU! I was born in Arlington, Virginia and spent most of my life growing up in Northern Virginia. When I'm not in class or doing homework I spend most of my time reading, rock climbing, working, taking care of my plants, or hanging out with friends!

Growing up, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I'm pretty sure that I changed my intended career at least once a month from the time I was 8 to the time I was 17. Everyone always told me that I should think of ways to turn my passions into my career, however, I never felt like I had any big passions I would want to stick with for the rest of my life. All I knew was that I loved reading and writing and I absolutely hated math. It wasn't until my Junior year of high school that I met my biggest inspiration for teaching, my English teacher, Ms. Wenstrup.

I know I want to teach English at the high school level. I also know I want my classroom to be a safe space for all students. I experienced a lot of different things throughout my time in the public school system and my mental health was something that I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone about. Luckily, that changed once I realized that there were teachers and resources in the school that were willing to help me. I know firsthand just how important it can be for students to have a safe space in school and I want my future students to know that I'm there, not just to teach, but also to listen and help.

I know I am a very organized person and I think this will be beneficial to me as a future educator. I keep a planner, submit assignments early (most of the time), and work hard to keep up with and stay ahead of deadlines. These skills will hopefully carry over with me once I become an educator and help me with lesson plans, grading, and keeping a well-organized classroom.

I know that I am patient. As the oldest of six and the automatic babysitter, patience is something I've been almost forced to learn. I like to think that I also have a very patient nature which has helped me out in many situations, such as helping teach a classroom full of kindergarteners. After that experience, lets just say that I think I'm much more equipped to teach older students. Aside from that, I know patience is something that makes a good educator which is why I'm glad it's a skill I already have.

I've come a long way from the shy kid that I used to be but there are still times where I'm up in front of a crowd and I can't stop my voice from wobbling. Public speaking is definitely a skill that I still need to work on and it's also a necessary skill to have as an educator. If I can't stand up in front of students and communicate clearly and effectively then I'm not doing my job as a teacher.

I have very little experience in an actual classroom as an instructor. This is something I know I will gain more experience with as a student studying education but it's also something that I know a lot of my peers are familiar with. I hope that I can gain knowledge and advice from them and their personal experiences throughout the semester.

There is a lot that I will need to learn in order to become a successful educator. I have very little experience in a classroom setting as well as little experience with creating lesson plans and classroom management. I am only in my second year at ODU so I know I will learn these things as I progress through my courses and observations, however, I am still a bit nervous.

If a visitor were to walk into my classroom they would see a clean, organized space with students who are engaged in the lesson taking place. Students would remain respectful during discussions, whether they are communicating with peers or communicating with me. If the visitor were to focus on me while I was teaching a lesson, they would hopefully see an educator who is passionate about the subject matter as well as willing to engage with students and answer any questions they may have.

I'm really interested in plants and gardening so when I thought of a word to describe my future students, the first word that came to mind was "plants". I want to give my students the tools and knowledge to grow. Similarly, when I thought of a word to describe myself in this situation I thought of a "gardener". I don't plan on holding my students' hands every step of the way, rather, I want to teach them the skills they will need later in life. In this messy metaphor I like to think of the knowledge and skills I will be teaching students as water or fertilizer. I provide the information and teach it in ways that my students find engaging and interesting.

The educational philosophies that most align with my style of teaching are: progressivism, existentialism, and social reconstructivism. I think it's very important to have a student-centered classroom because, ultimately, school is about the students and how they learn best. I don't think that I should just stand at the front of the classroom and lecture students without any input from them. As a former high school student, I usually slept through classes where the teacher discouraged any interaction between students. I plan to have a classroom where I take note of students' input and the ways they learn best so I can incorporate that into my lessons.

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