I entered college as an undergraduate with a clearly defined direction and goal. I knew I wanted to be a middle school math and science teacher. My major in middle grades education allowed me to become a teacher immediately following graduation. My first position was as a 6th and 7th grade math and science teacher at a public Montessori middle school.
I knew little about Montessori education when I accepted the position, but through training, I learned about the philosophy and fully embraced it. Within the Montessori classroom, students are valued members of the classroom community. They learn how to be leaders and how to collaborate with their classmates to accomplish tasks. Experiences outside of the classroom are frequent and are integrated seamlessly into classroom work.
My students, during an integrated science, math, and art study, explored Alexander Calder’s mobiles. They studied balanced forces and unbalanced forces, use of primary colors in art, …show more content…
As an undergraduate, I was recognized for my academic achievement with the CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Award and the Dean E. Smith Scholarship, which is awarded by the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was elected my senior year to Phi Beta Kappa, because of my performance in liberal arts coursework. This is a rare recognition for a student in a professional program, because professional coursework is not considered. As a teacher, I received leadership roles, including Faculty Chair for the School Improvement team. In addition, the principal and my peers viewed me as the content expert in math and science within the school and consulted me for input on units and for my interpretation of the standards. I expect that I will perform well in graduate school based on this history of success and my resilience following a difficult life
I knew little about Montessori education when I accepted the position, but through training, I learned about the philosophy and fully embraced it. Within the Montessori classroom, students are valued members of the classroom community. They learn how to be leaders and how to collaborate with their classmates to accomplish tasks. Experiences outside of the classroom are frequent and are integrated seamlessly into classroom work.
My students, during an integrated science, math, and art study, explored Alexander Calder’s mobiles. They studied balanced forces and unbalanced forces, use of primary colors in art, …show more content…
As an undergraduate, I was recognized for my academic achievement with the CRC Press Freshman Chemistry Award and the Dean E. Smith Scholarship, which is awarded by the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was elected my senior year to Phi Beta Kappa, because of my performance in liberal arts coursework. This is a rare recognition for a student in a professional program, because professional coursework is not considered. As a teacher, I received leadership roles, including Faculty Chair for the School Improvement team. In addition, the principal and my peers viewed me as the content expert in math and science within the school and consulted me for input on units and for my interpretation of the standards. I expect that I will perform well in graduate school based on this history of success and my resilience following a difficult life