Teaching & Learning in a Pandemic: Spring 2021

Kristine Thompson

kthom086@odu.edu

Who Is Kristine Thompson?

I am a wife and mother of two daughters. My husband and I live on our small family farm. We began raising soybeans last year and had an exceptional crop this year.

I currently work at a private school in Lawrenceville, Virginia. I am the bookkeeper at Brunswick Academy. I have been given the opportunity to teach PE classes, a music appreciation class, and a chorus class. I also coached softball, volleyball, and basketball for ten years. Being able to see both the finances and teaching classes has taught me a great deal about how a school works as a whole.

Please watch my video to learn a little more about me!

I now understand that all students are not created equal. Students learn differently and they will need to be taught according to these differences. For instance, there are some students that have attention issues. They will need items to help them pay attention in class. This could mean the use of fidgets, a wobble chair or bands on chairs.

I know that as an Early Learning Teacher, I will need to teach my students about diversity and how we need to get along and celebrate our differences.

With technology advancing every day, I know that I will have to continue to learn. In order to continue growing as a teacher, I also believe I need to continue to learn about each subject I will be teaching to my students. I know that my efforts in my teaching will determine the success of my students!

I know that there is a vast amount of knowledge that I need to acquire in order to become an effective teacher. Collaborating with my classmates along with my future colleagues will help me to be a successful teacher. I will be able to learn from my colleagues. I am grateful that ODU incorporates several Special Education Classes within the curriculum as well. This will help me to understand the process of teaching all of my students effectively.

I HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN! - My Success in learning will help my students be successful.

The Teacher I Will Become

I want to be a caring teacher with a classroom where students feel comfortable expressing themselves. I want my students to understand that it is okay to make mistakes because we always learn from our mistakes. I will use a mixture of two philosophies: Progressivism and Essentialism. I feel that most students learn best with hands-on learning. I also feel that incorporating standardized tests can help me to understand what students have learned. I believe that one of the most important jobs I will have is helping students to read fluently and understand what they are reading. My favorite reading approach is the Daily 5 approach which was created by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. I plan to incorporate this approach into my teaching curriculum. I am including a short video that explains the Daily 5 approach for your reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM4uXXrYlCU

Your comments are greatly appreciated:

Hi Kristine! I really enjoyed going over your author page. I admire that you are so immersed in the academic field and that you spoke about diversity in the classroom, as well as providing the solutions of how to deal with some situations. I will definitely be taking note of that. I also really enjoyed your animoto video. I was a creative way of introducing yourself. My favorite part was seeing your dog Buster lol. - K Holloway

Hi Kristine! I think it is great that you have already had some experience working in education. It is eye-opening and great that you can recognize all sides that go into play for education. I also like that you want to encourage your students to express themselves without a fear of judgment. -- Valerie Lieske

Hi Kristine! I really enjoyed your author page and am amazed that you are able to do everything you do. One of the things we have in common is I also coach JV softball. I love that you incorporated a video about the DAILY 5 and I will now be looking to incorporate this into my classroom as well. Thank you for sharing the knowledge you have. - Shonna Roberts

Kristine, I loved that you brought up how students learn differently and you will find way to accommodate their needs. I also love that you will talk about diversity and getting along and celebrating who we are! That is so important to teach at a young age! -Brooke Hamilton

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