Who am I? My name is Leanna , I am 18 years old and I'm currently studying to be a Kindergarten teacher. I have worked with children for about 7-8 years and as I worked with children, I realized I wanted to be a teacher. I want to have a big positive impact on my students' lives. I currently work at the YMCA of Portsmouth in the Stay & Play. I have worked there for over a year and make connections and built relationships with the families that come in. During the school year I help kids with homework, with studying, and with learning new skills for the future all. I know being a teacher is the right career for me because of my drive to help others learn and succeed and make an impact.
What I know: Early childhood education is the learning and development that begins at birth and continues until about age eight. This is an important stage in a child's life because this is when they start to learn basic skills like motor skills, emotional understanding, and social behaviors. In Early Childhood Education, young children start to learn how to interact with others, numbers, letters, how to share, and how to follow directions. It may take a lot of guidance, reassurance, and redirecting but this is crucial for the child as they grow and prepare for what's next.
What I have to learn: I have to learn how to create fun hands-on lesson plans to get my students engaged and excited to learn. Additionally, I need to learn all of the stages of childhood development to understand how they affect learning. I would also like to learn how I can support the children's developments to further aid them as they grow. Most importantly, I want to learn how to be an impactful and knowledgeable teacher for my students.
The teacher I will become: As an educator, I want to make a great impact on my students' lives and really be there for them personally and academically. I want to include fun learning activities both individual and group work that includes hands-on problem solving. With that being said, as a teacher I would use the progressivism educational philosophy because I think it reflects how I want to run my classroom as well as ensure my students succeed.
If a visitor walked into my classroom they would see my students and I working hard solving problems. I would be guiding my students step by step on what to do while they do the hands-on work with their peers.
The image below reflects how I want to run my classroom using the progressivism educational philosophy. I believe using individual and group hands-on learning activities can make a positive impact on a student's learning ability. In the picture, a teacher is helping her students learn how to write each others name creating a bonding and learning experience for both the students and teacher.
How I used AI: I used Google Gemini to get an idea of how I wanted to word my answers to each content section as well as learn a little more about childhood education to effectively answer the sections. Additionally, I used AI to create an image reflecting how my classroom will be and to reflect my educational philosophy.
Comments: Any comments and/or feedback is appreciated!
Nikko Ramos: What sticks out the most to me is your prior experience with children. It is not common to see such an interest early on in life. It is admirable that an education route has been in your future for a while now. I would be interested to know why early development specifically. What about them makes them your goal?
Hi Leanna. I really enjoyed reviewing your "About the Author Page". Your page was very welcoming and the pictures that you added were a great addition as well. I really liked the picture that you chose of the teacher teaching her students how to write each other's name. Teachers incorporating small group activities into their classroom schedule allows for more bonding time with their students, gives the opportunity to provide more feedback and/or support, and allows for students to ask questions. ~Kimberly Greelish
Hi, Leanna! I love your About the Author page! It's so pretty, and I love the design. It's really cool that you're working at the YMCA with kids. I'm also from Chesapeake, so it's great to see someone from my area! I also want to learn how to make fun hands-on lessons. It's definitely something I hope to learn in my education classes here. I admire your desire to make an impact on your students' lives. -Sarah Lee
Hello Leanna, I can see from the photos you posted in your slides that you see to truely love working with kids. I like the photo you used for what your classroom would be like as I can see the student artwork displayed in the corner. It along with the photo in your slides of the giving tree covered with hands show that you hold their work in high regard which is important in giving kids the encouragement that they need to keep going. - Madison Spurlock
Hi Leanna, I loved your Author page and your google slides, I thought it looked neat and fun to read! I think it's cool that you work at a YMCA. I worked at a YMCA for a few years as a lifeguard and fitness coach and loved the sense of community and helping support a lot of families. I'm sure your experience with different age ranges really helps you navigate on how to help each child learn best! I believe your vision for your classroom will make such a nice and interactive way for each child to feel productive and supported! I'm excited for your future as a teacher and believe you will help students make school work engaging while also helping them grow. - Anna Armstrong