Elizabeth Mann

One thing about me is that I am not very good at writing about myself. This whole page has been a struggle for me, because another thing about me is that I am not very technologically advanced. However, this is my attempt.

A little background in my education history is that I actually used to be a nursing major. I love science and math(I know, you don't really hear that from the english majors). I loved the challenge, and how applicable it was to everyday life. It felt like it gave me a better understanding of how the world worked around me.

That all changed when I came to ODU. I was fresh from TCC with my science degree, about to join a nursing program when I completely changed majors to become an english teacher. This has always been something in the back of my mind that I wanted to accomplish but just thought that it wasn't realistic or sustainable. I took the leap and here we are now.

One hobby that I have right now is I really enjoy making tiktok videos.
I struggled feeling confident enough to make tiktoks. I thought people would make fun of me or not really understand why I would want to be making them. I then realized that I didn't need to worry about what others were going to think.

I want my students to feel the same way. I do not want them to be ashamed to take part in things that interest them. I want them to show their creativity in ways that they want.

I thought the what I know part of this page was the most daunting task. I know a little bit about a lot of things. However, one thing that I am confident that I know is how to show kindness and consideration for the people around me. This is also what I hope to instill in my future students. They will be growing up in a world that will be looking for any reason to divide them. I hope that in those situations I can lead my students towards their similarities, combined interests, and put away the selfness and ego.

In the same token I know how to appreciate other's differences instead of letting them divide us further. This is something I also hope to teach my students. I want our classroom to be a safe place for everyone, and all my students feel comfortable being able to be themselves.

The Teacher I will Become

There are plenty of things that I have to learn on my way to becoming an educational professional. One being is how to communicate with younger students. I want to be able to communicate effectively, and in a way that they can understand.

Another thing I need to learn is how to control and maintain a classroom. I do believe that a classroom needs a certain amount of structure. This in turn helps create an environment where ideas, thoughts, feelings, can be shared in a safe place.

I need to also learn how to plan and manage my time. I find that I will get overwhelmed by certain tasks and avoid doing anything until it is 2 hours before a deadline and I am rushing to get everything turned in. This is not something I want to bring with me to the classroom. I want to be able to set my students up for success. In order to do so I need to put in the effort to create a classroom that is prepared to teach them.