Are you smart or dumb?

After reading chapter 4 of "Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse OR The First Year of Teaching" I have come to an amazing realization about categorizing people as either smart or dumb. Smart and dumb are definitions placed on students based on if they do or do not learn the way classrooms teach. Each student learns in their own, unique way. To base our opinion of a student and their learning ability on if they're able to learn in a specific way is to disregard all of the "Albert Einsteins" in a class. We need to be able to adapt our teaching style and classroom to each student. We also need to ensure that we create an environment that excites students, allows them to learn, but also allows students to figure out how they best learn and use their unique learning style to their advantage. In this way, each student is able to be "smart" because they are creating a learning experience catered to who they are as a unique individual with a unique set of talents and abilities. Goodbye smart or dumb, hello smart AND unique.

All about me!

I would like to believe that my life is a pretty interesting one. I grew up in Caldwell, Idaho with my younger sister, Danielle, and my parents. My non-academic interests include traveling, watching TV, and hanging out with friends. I have been all over the United States and I have also been to Ukraine, The Netherlands, Ecuador, and Guatemala. From the time I was very young we would drive to Florida to see my dad's family and went many places along the way. I think this was what really allowed me to have my love of travelling. I also love watching TV (mainly documentaries) and being around my family and friends. I try to be as friendly and social as I can, so being around people is definitely something I love doing.

On the more academic side, I am on Boise State's speech and debate team. So, this means that a lot of my free time is spent reading current news, finding fun little facts to talk about, reading books and poetry, and writing speeches. I truly enjoy it and believe that it has absolutely allowed me to become more successful in school and in everyday life. The people I have met through speech and debate are now some of my closest friends and I look forward to every tournament we get to travel to together.

From the time I was young I wanted to be a teacher. There were the obvious draws; weekends, June-August, and holidays. However, I always felt like there was something else drawing me to it. My mom is a teacher and so growing up I helped her in her classrooms all the time. I eventually realized that I wanted to make a difference in the world and to the people around me and one of the main ways I see this being done is through teaching. My emphasis is on History/Social Studies. I love history and learning about the events that shaped the world into what it is today. I believe that through teaching others and allowing them to have a safe environment that allows them to not only learn but also discover who they are, I am changing not only the life of the students I teach, but the lives of those around them. I've always wanted to be able to say that I helped make the world a better place, and by teaching, I believe that I can.