Tour de Carolina

It is 2019. The last semester of my senior year of high school has begun. College decision day is approaching. Will I go to Auburn University, or will I go to the University of South Carolina? The stakes are high, so I took one last college tour at both schools. It is a big decision! I know I want to be a teacher and look for which College of Education will give me the most inside the classroom experience. Fast forward two months. I fly to France and for the first-time experience life away from home. I tour the city of Paris and get to experience the Tour de France. The excitement for this new stage of life continues to blossom. Fast forward another two weeks. It is move-in day at the University of South Carolina. I walk along the horseshoe bricks, the same ones from the tour where I made my college decision. It is time. I am officially a Gamecock.

Fast forward again to the very first day of freshman year. My first ever education class, Schools in Communities (EDFI 300). Ultimately, I decided to choose USC because the College of Education impressed me with how intentional their program was set up. My whole life I have felt called to teach, but knew I needed good foundational knowledge on best practices in teaching from a theoretically point of view. In EDFI 300, I was challenged to dig deep and figure out what teaching means to me, why I wanted to teach, and how I would define my teaching career as successful. Our first assignment was to write about our personal educational story. In my story, which is attached below, I talk about the first time I realized that some of my friends were receiving canned goods from the school to take home for the weekend. As a young elementary schooler, this really shocked me. I could not imagine someone not having food at home. I quickly realized that because of the homelife that some of my friends experienced, school, and the teachers there, were like family to them. This was one of the first moments that I truly reflected on the type of teacher I wanted to be and how teaching was something way bigger than passing a test. I knew I wanted to be a teacher that served the needs of my students. Later in the semester, we were asked to create our own pedagogic creed which is also attached below. This was significant because we were tasked to make connections between the theories we learned in class and our personal experiences in education. Our creed was supposed to define what education means to us. Yet again, my passion to use teaching as a way to serve others came through when I talked about equitable education. I understand that a child’s education is heavily impacted by their homelife, and I believe as teachers, we must advocate for equitable resources to best serve our students. This type of teaching requires extra work but is well worth it.

Fast forward to my sophomore year of college. My love for the University of South Carolina kept growing and I wanted to find a way to give back and serve the Gamecock Community. I remembered how much my tour guide impacted me during my college decision process, so I decided to apply for University Ambassadors (the tour guides at USC). After a long interview process, I got selected to be an ambassador. In this role, I serve as a mentor for future Gamecocks during their college decision process and get to “teach” visitors about USC. I am able to serve through answering phone calls, emails, and giving campus tours. The best part of this experience is when my inner teacher gets to inspire visitors to make their own choice. At the conclusion of all my tours, I never force the idea that USC is the best school for each and every participant. Acknowledging that this university is not the best fit for everyone is super important to me. I encourage each student to find a university that they can see themselves loving SO much and that serves their needs best. My striving to make my tour an inclusive environment is affirmed in my tour feedback (which is attached below). After each tour we give, the participants are asked to fill out a survey. This helps with self-reflection and how after each tour striving to make it better. Most of my feedback revolves around me being a good storyteller. That is crucial for a classroom because everyone loves a good story. After reading positive feedback that I am a good communicator builds my confidence as a future teacher. As much as this university, the faculty, staff, and student body has given me, it is my true honor to be able to advocate for how special I believe this place is because of how they serve students well.

Fast forward, one last time, to my future classroom. Over the last three years, I have been catering my tour to best serve each student and parent that walks along the Horseshoe’s bricks. I talk one-on-one with each family to ask questions and figure out what interests them. I make sure to include specific information that appeals to both parents and students. Answering personal questions to paint the full picture of what college is like also shows my genuine passion to show off this university and these people. As I move into my future classroom, this experience and the lessons learned will be crucial. A teacher needs to get to know every student beyond the classroom and use a variety of teaching styles within the classroom. I will need to hold true to my pedagogic creed and vouch for my students’ needs by adapting my lessons to best serve the demographics of my class. The best teachers are those who understand what Schools in Communities really means. Our schools are located within unique communities and as teachers, we must create environments where students feel supported. Just as a general campus tour tries to encompass all a university has to offer, I will try to create lessons that encompass everything a student needs to be successful in life. That is the start of my Tour de Carolina.

p.s. Go Gamecocks 😊