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My name is Charity Harrell and I’m a Sophomore Elementary Education Major and exploring a minor in Spanish.
I was born and raised in Northern Virginia.. which is super boring in my opinion.
I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember and my drive to positively affect the lives of children and their families, through education, grows every day.
The truth is I don't know a whole lot when it comes to leading a classroom on my own. My main experience is with small groups of kids during summer camp.
Something I DO know a lot about is Algebra, which I love. The only part of geometry I'm good at is the Pythagorean Theorem.
I feel like a real talent of mine is how well I can distract kids from what upsets them but in a good way. If I notice a kid is silently upset about something, I can redirect them to something fun or what makes them happy :)
An area where I still need to learn is classroom structure and effective teaching practices. I'm looking forward to the 30 hours of observation that we participate in because shadowing a teacher is an amazing way to gain this knowledge.
I also need to learn more about interior design and decorating. I don't have a ton of creative imagination, so learning what decorations or what things to have in a classroom is very important. I don't want my students comparing my class to another teacher's and wishing they were there instead!
The type of teacher I become will prioritize not only spreading the knowledge I have to the next generation but also prioritize the one-on-one relationship I make with each student. Growing up, it was always amazing to see my teachers individualize their students rather than constantly grouping them as a whole. Having those personal relationships, being consistent, and being intentional with kids does more good than many people realize.
I will become a teacher that doesn't provide false knowledge or teach based on bias. I want to give my students the opportunity to form their own opinions about certain topics and not be influenced by what I say or their classmates say.
My elementary school had their own school pledge and this is what I grew up saying every morning. "We are a team," is something I'll instill in my classroom always.
The teacher I become will use progressivism and social reconstructivism as my primary philosophies in education. Although these are the main philosophies I will go by, I would still like to incorporate some of the others.
Progressivism deals primarily with problem-solving and teamwork. I feel that these are very important skills to have because no matter if it's at school or work, at some point you'll have to be able to work with others to achieve a common goal.
Social Reconstructivism challenges students intellectually while discussing current topics, usually the inequities that happen around them. This is important because no matter the topic, you should always be informed and know how to approach certain situations.
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