Introduce yourself to the class and me by telling us a little about yourself. Include your home town, (2) where you work, (3) why you chose the field of education, and (4) what grade level or content area you would like to teach. Feel free to share any other information you would like about your family, hobbies, pets, etc.
My name is Deborah Whitfield and I live in Derby, KS. I am married to a wonderful husband and have 3 boys (two stepsons 17 and 12 and one biological son age 7). I currently work for Parents as Teachers as a Certified Parent Educator sharing developmental information and activities with parents that have children ages birth to 3. I also facilitate a school readiness class with parents that have children ages 4 and 5. I started working for Parents as Teachers 3 years ago when my son started pre-k. We were involved in Parents as Teachers and I loved the program. My current boss gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and I have loved my job ever since. I want to continue working with preschool aged children. My family and I love to camp and go four wheeling. I am busy with school (I am taking 12 hours this semester), work, kids activities, and I also asst. coach my sons soccer and basketball teams.
Hi Deborah. I just got a job with PATHS as a lead teacher at their daycare site here in Hays. I have been working with EHS as a daycare provider for 3 1/2 years. I have two boys that are 2 and 4. Good luck!
HI! My name is Jennifer Grabbe. I have been married almost three years. My husband and I live in Schoenchen,KS and we have two boys. One is 2 and the other is 4. I recently closed my daycare and will a lead teacher at a daycare site. My goal is to teach preschool some day. Hopefully with PATHS/Headstart. I like to read, scrapbook my boys, and ride horses.
Hi! My name is Sarah Scott. I grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas. I currently live in Omaha, NE where I work full time while taking classes. This is my second round of college – have a BS in business administration from UNL. It took me a little longer to realize that teaching is the career I have been looking for. This should be my last semester of classes before I student teach in the fall. I hope to teach in the lower elementary grades –2nd to 4th. I’m excited for this semester and the opportunity to spend more time in the classroom.
In the little free time that I have available… I like to play and watch sports, read, knit and spend time with my nieces and nephew. I have no pets at the moment – back to the no free time issue – but have had Boxers in the past and will again in the future.
My husband and I were married in 2000 and we now have two daughters, a four year old and a one year old. I currently stay home with my girls and I am a full time FHSU student. I was an accountant for a large automotive supplier and my husband worked at Ford Motor Company until the layoffs in 2007. That is when we moved from the Detroit area to Wichita, Kansas. We mrecently moved back to our home State of Michigan after 18 months in Wichita. We are now in Kalamazoo ehich is a 2 hour drive from Detroit (where our entire family resides). At the time, I never thought I would miss Kansas, but I do now. We made a ton of friends and I miss the warmer weather and sunshine. Today was a high of 35 degrees, it feels almost like spring after single digits!! I will definately be back this summer to visit, but I can't beat being able to go to Grandma's for the day (or week) with my girls. I decided to teach when my older daughter was two and she was having separation anxiety from me. I signed her up for a "Mom's Day Out" program at the local church, but she would not let me leave, so I helped out in the class for a few weeks and I loved it. My husband was the one to suggest I go for my teaching degree and I thought it was a great idea also. I love being at home with my kids and I should graduate this year after student teaching in the Fall. I do not have many hobbies due tot he lack of time, but I make it a habit to take the kids for a bike ride or walk through the 40 acre grape vineyard behind our house. The dog loves to run with us also!
Hello everyone! My name is Kendra Matteson. I currently live in Hays Kansas but grew up on a farm North of Phillipsburg Kansas. For anybody that doesn't know where that is, its located straight north of Hays. I am currently a senior here at FHSU and plan on student teaching in the fall of this year. I have one class left to take in the summer after I complete this semester's classes. I currently work at the hospital in Hays in the admissions office. I love my job and co workers. Will be sad to leave in June after my fiance and I get married. We are getting married May 8th of this year and plan on moving either to Spearville or Dodge City. Where ever we can find a house is where we will be. My degree is going to be K-12 Teaching/Coaching with my health endorsement. My goal is to teach is the elementary school but coach junior high or high school sports. When I have free time outside of school, I love planning my wedding, playing with my two dogs, or working out.
Hi everyone! My name is Lin Crum. My husband, three month old daughter, and I live in Dodge City, KS. We moved here about three years ago. Before that we were living in Pittsburg, KS, but I am originally from Minnesota. I don't work currently since I'm staying home with our daughter, Shannon. The last two years I taught (long-term sub) at the middle school and loved it. I have a Christian education degree, which allowed me to teach at a church school (high school) for 2 years as well as a Christian-based high school for at-risk teens for a year. Last year I was privileged to teach a newcomer class (for students new to the U.S.) and simply adored it. I am pursuing a Spanish content area, but am finding my real passion is ESL. Why education? Why not? Where else can you do more good to positively influence those who need it most?
My name is Martecia Cooper. I am a senior at FHSU and majoring in Elem Ed. I want to teach 3rd graders. I am a stay at home mom and full time student. I have been married for almost 3.5 years to my wonderful husband, William Cooper. We have a daughter who is about to turn 1 on Jan 24 and she is our first child. I want to teach because I love working with kids and love teaching. I am from Wichita, Ks and currently reside here. I have a Bachelor's degree in Communication with an emphasis in Integrated Marketing Communication, which is advertising, marketing and public relations, and a minor in Sociology from Wichita State University in 2005. I have also taken 20 hours towards a Master's degree in Sociology from WSU. I have had many jobs. I have taught Sociology and Psychology at a local community college and decided I liked it but would rather teach children versus adults.
Hi Lin, Nice to meet you. I too have a young daughter, she will be 1 year on Jan 24. I stay at home with our daughter too. My hubby works long hours at Cargill. He works outdoors and is often tired. So I sometimes don't get all the help I could use from him, but I understand. Your teaching background is very interesting and will surely be an asset to you when you start teaching. I agree with you. When someone asks why education, I think the same thing too, why not?
Kendra M. I too am a senior and will student teach Fall 2010 and will graduate in Dec 2010. I am so glad the end is near. I have to take 1 class this summer too, its the reading disability corrections class. Is that the same one you have to take as well? congrats on your upcoming wedding. Wow, I would like to coach middle school high school kids to, but don't know how to do that because I don't want to get a PE degree. What can I do to get the kind of endorsement you have so that I can coach middle and high school too? What sports would you like to coach? I like to workout too. I played basketball and volleyball and ran cross country and track and field.
I. We are getting married May 8th of this year and plan on moving either to Spearville or Dodge City. Where ever we can find a house is
My name is Mark VonFeldt and I am originally from a small town next to Hays called Victoria. I want to teach physical education to high school students and I choose this field because I enjoy working out and staying fit. I have a wonderful wife, a beautiful 21 month old son, a baby girl on the way, 3 dogs, a cat, and 2 horses (with one baby horse on the way). I have enjoyed reading through your posts and look forward to blogging with all of you this semester. Blogging is totally new to me!!!!
I also forgot to mention, as I was not even sure if I was doing this right, that I have a bachelors degree in Kinesiology from Kansas State University and a Masters Degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology from Kansas State as well. I have worked in the athletics department for the past several years working hands on with the Kansas State athletes and now want to take my knowledge and work with high school students.
Hello everyone! My name is Candace Gay. I grew up in Colby, Kansas. I, as most Colby High graduates, attended Colby Community College and received my Associate of Arts degree in business administration. There, I met my husband, Brandon. We transferred to the University of Kansas where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. We stayed and lived in Lawrence for eight years and I worked in the early childhood education field. I was the director of three early education centers focused on at-risk children ages 2 weeks to 6 years. Although I enjoyed the administrative outlook on education, I feel I belong in a classroom.
Two years ago my mother-in-law became ill and we relocated back to Brandon’s hometown, Norton, Kansas, so he could be with her. I took a job with the Norton school district as the at-risk tutor for grades fourth through sixth. I enjoy every aspect of my job greatly, but cannot wait until I have my own classroom! In the future I would like to teach in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.
As the at-risk tutor, I am part of a team of teachers who touch and enhance children’s lives each day. I want to continue to gain that sense of achievement as I pursue my teaching career. I couldn’t imagine my life without working with children everyday. I also enjoy being back in a small western Kansas town. There really is no place like home!
Along with my position as the at-risk tutor for Norton, I am also doing some case managing work for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I am also an active volunteer for Special Olympics, Autism Speaks, and United Way. In my free time I enjoy cooking, reading and playing with my two Cocker Spaniels, Olivia and Sophia.
Hello everyone. My name is Greg Tibbitt and I am originally from Stuttgart, AR. My wife and I moved out to Liberal, KS this year. I am currently coaching football at Liberal High School as well as teaching a Health class. This is my seventh year to teach/coach. Prior to coming to Liberal, I was the Head Football Coach at a private school in Arkansas for four years. Honestly, the main reason I wanted to get into the education field was to coach football. I love working with teenagers and helping them improve not only as an athlete, but as a student and as young men as well. Therefore, I prefer to work in the secondary education field. My wife, Whitney, and I have been married for four years. We do not have any children at this point, but somehow we have adopted five dogs over the past few years. So, for now they keep us pretty busy. Whitney is in her 3rd year of teaching Kindergarten and she loves it.
My name is Nikki Burkey, I live in Liberal, Kansas, with my husband and my two children, a boy and a girl ages six and three. I am a substitute teacher for U.S.D. #480, and I absolutely love it! I have been boring my fellow classmates with this story for a year now, but it is the reason I am submitting this blog response today. I coach Pee Wee bowling for children ages three to seven. A young bowler once tugged on my shirt and yelled “teacher, teacher!” I got goose bumps and knew right then and there that education was my calling. I was twenty-eight years old when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I’ve been working toward a degree in elementary education since 2005. I have one more year of classes and will student teach in January 2011. Substituting has allowed me to explore the various grade levels and so far I am focusing on the primary grades, K-3.
My children are my life, but in my spare time I enjoy singing in the church choir, ringing in the hand bell choir. Of course, I married into the sport of bowling (my husband has managed the local bowling center for thirteen years now) so my entire family bowls. I coach the Pee Wees because after age seven, they know more about the sport and are better bowlers than I. We are also the proud parents of three dogs, one cat and ten fish. We recently lost one dog (on December 14) and one fish (a few days ago).
I am excited to work with each of you this semester and wish you the best of luck in your educational endeavors!
This post is in response to Greg T. Hi! I have lived in Liberal for eight years now! I believe I substituted in your wife's kindergarten class; does she teach at MacArthur? I'm at the high school quite a bit and will be subbing for Mrs. Coach Price two days this week. It's great to have a fellow Liberalite in class! Best of luck to you this semester!
Kendra, Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Glad to hear that you are moving to our neck of the woods. That is great because Dodge always needs competent teachers. I bet you will be a great asset here. Dodge is about 80% latino which impacts our school district as you might have guessed. We have about 75% free and reduced lunches. Everyone is encouraged to get their ESL endorsement (which typically the district will spring for). And, unfortunately, because of the racial tensions and gang rivalries we have about 80 drive-bys per year. It can be a challenging district to teach in but also a very rewarding one. Good luck to you this semester and in the future.
Greg, My husband, James, and I have also been married for four years and he, like Whitney, is in his third year of teaching, but he teaches 8th grade math. It is so wonderful that you both will be teachers. That means summers off together! It has done so much to build our marriage to have that time together. James and I taught at the same middle school which was great because we could collaborate and brainstorm ways to handle situations or different ways to present material together. But we also found that it was hard to leave school at school and not let it rule our lives. We finally found those boundaries, I think. I hope you get to enjoy your summers together and can learn from each other too.
My name is Emily Lowry and I live on a ranch in north central Kansas - Prairie View. My husband and I have been married for three years and are currently raising five children. We both had sons from previous marriages and in the last year have adopted two biological sisters and are hoping to also adopt a 2y/o boy that has been with us since July. I have been working on my secondary education degree in mathematics since 2004 and hope to be completed in the next two years. This is my first year to quit working and take classes full time, but with five children, lots of cows and horses, and two children in sports it feels like a full time job. I have wanted to teach math since I was 19y/o for reasons I do not know. I just know that I always enjoyed math. I intially thought I would teach HS but my last job was a secretary in a JH, which made me realize how much I enjoy that age group. If things go well I hope to teach at my children's JH school.
Hello, My name is Audrey Hanna, I am from Hill City Kansas. I live in Hays as of right now, but I will be moving to Atwood Kansas here in the next couple of weeks. I currently work at Whiskey Creek as a waitress, but as soon as I move I will substitute teach while finishing up this semester. I will student teach next semester. My content area is K-12 Physical Eductional with an endorsement in Health Education. I will be getting married in June, it's very exciting and busy trying to work, go to school full time, and plan a WEDDING!!! I know Kendra Matteson knows what I'm talking about! I love to hunt, be outdoors, ride horses, and run. I hope everybody has a great semester!
My name is Erin Allen and I live in Clay Center, Kansas. I am married to an amazing man with two boys, Dominic (6) and Devon (5). I currently am not working but I do take on many substitute jobs in our town’s elementary school system. I have chosen the field of education for my career path because I love children and the ability to provide a positive learning environment. I have worked in the school system as a Para educator as well as an Instruction Aide. I feel that I would like to be able to work with children from first to third grade. There is just something about this age group that makes teaching such a reward.
Hello- I am Mary Hessenflow. I live in Beloit,KS and work as a substitute teacher. I picked the education field because I love being around children and watching them discover the world around them. The grade level that I am really interested in is 5th or 6th because they are going through an interesting transition from being a young child to more of a pre-teen.
My name is Shane Olson and I am a Para educator in Beloit Kansas. My wife and I have two kids named Ellie and Kanean. We also have two dogs named Harley and Mason. I kind of feel like the education field chose me. In the small town I live in jobs are limited and when I was hired on at the school district I was ready to try anything. Now I am back in school working on my second Bachelors and ready to have my own classroom someday. I never thought I would say that I enjoyed going to work but I do!
I grew up in Beloit, KS, graduating almost eight years ago! I attended KSU, majoring in Secondary Math Education and shortly thereafter I switched to Elementary Education. Then again I switched to Park Management, Conservation, and Recreation with an emphasis on Environmental Interpretation. I worked for Colorado State Parks for awhile after graduating from KSU.
I then decided that I wanted to return to school and get my degree in Elementary Education after all. I do not regret majoring in Park Management and Conservation because I gained a lot of valuable information, including many lessons and activities that I can bring to my elementary classroom. Plus, I met my future-husband during my Conservation internship!
I have worked with kindergarteners and first graders as a teacher’s aide. I really enjoy those grade levels because I like working with emergent readers. However, for the past six months I have been a substitute teacher and this experience has allowed me to be in a variety of classroom settings from general grade levels to an autistic classroom. At this point I am leaning more towards the lower grades levels, but I am open to teaching any garde.
I now live in Ellsworth with my husband, Michael, of three months. We spend our time traveling, fishing & hunting, and going to KSU b-ball games.
Hi! My name is Connie Heskamp and I am currently a Para-Educator at our middle school in Spearville, KS where I live with my husband and 3 children. In July, 2007 I lost my job of 11 years as a graphic artist for Feist/Yellowbook. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for a job. I hated the thought of having to go out and find a new one. My father-in-law, who had been a math teacher in previous years, persuaded me to go back to college and get my teaching certificate. I had always wanted to work with kids and become a teacher, so I jumped at this huge opportunity. I have been working at our middle school for the last two years and have really enjoyed working with the middle school students. So, I truly believe that I have chosen the right career.
I will finish my education in the Fall 2010 with a bachelors degree in business education. I hope to be able to teach at the school that I am currently working in as a business/computer technology teacher. I also have coached MS basketball and track for the last two years and hope to continue this also.
I enjoy following my children in all of their activities and spending time with my family. This is one of the reasons that I have chosen teaching as a career. It will allow me to be home more often and be on the same schedule as them.
I also enjoy going to sporting events, watching college football and basketball, photography, and scrapbooking in my free time. I can't wait for the chance to do more of this, when I get finished with my college education.
I'm looking forward to this class. Good luck to everyone this semester!
Hi, my name is Christal and my hometown is Park City, Kansas! This is a little town that runs into Wichita. I am currently run a preschool and have done this for 18 years altogether. I love children and am ready to jump to the next level of teaching with older children. I am going to teach business at the secondary level. I cannot wait to get this class going and learn as much as possible.
Hi my name is Natausha Dechant and I was born and raised in Stafford, Kansas. I currently live in St. John, Kansas which is a nice small town and I like that. I live close to my parents and my grandma and I really like that. I have two brothers and one sister. My sister is getting married in June, my youngest brother is in the Marines, and my oldest brother is finishing up his masters at WSU. When I am not doing my online courses, I work at the local elementary school as a special education para and a general education classroom para. I greatly enjoy my job and it has helped me ensure that what I am going to school for is something that I actually want to do for the rest of my life. I chose the field of education because I enjoy being around and helping children; everyday is different, no two events taking place exactly the same because no two students are the same. When I complete my school work and finally get the chance to teacher, I would really like to teach 1st grade. 1st grade is the class I’m in the most throughout the day and have grown to enjoy it very much. Finally, when I am not working or doing homework I enjoy hunting, cooking, riding horses, spending time with family/friends, and being with my boyfriend. Also my boyfriend and I have 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 3 horses; lots of fun!! I enjoy getting to know everyone this semester and good luck with the course.
Hi my name is Joe Holdren. I am originally from Nebraska, but have been living and teaching in Beloit, KS for the last two years. I am married and have two children. I teach at St. John the Baptist Catholic High School. I teach science for students 6th grade to 12th grade. I enjoy teaching and coaching.
Hi everyone! My name is Alyson Burkhart and I live in Great Bend, KS. My husband and I have 3 children (Peyton is 13, Brookly is 10, and Beau is 5). I have a regular Early Childhood Teaching certificate and am working to add the ECU endorsement to be licensed to teach Special Education. I am currently teaching under a waiver as an ECSE Itinerant teacher in the mornings and in the afternoons I teach 2nd grade at a private school. I have always enjoyed working with children and never really considered doing anything else. However, I have recently decided to go back into the classroom and actually teach, especially in the area of special education. For the past several years, I have worked on the administrative side of education as a Preschool Director and an Education Coordinator. Before that, I worked for 8 years in the mental health field as a children's case manager. My area of interest is working with children with emotional disorders and children with autism. I look forward to interacting with and learning from everyone!
My name is Cher Bohl. I reside in Moscow, Kansas where I currently am a special education para. I have a BS degree in psychology. I have 31 hours left to obtain my elementary education degree with a minor in special education. I am married and have 4 children. I have always worked with all groups of children and decided that special needs children were my passion. I love that I can still have a job, tend to my family and still take online classes to get my education and I can do it according to my schedule. I love online learning and look forward to a great semester. I also look forward to networking with fellow students and professors, after all that is what makes online learning fun.
Introduce yourself to the class and me by telling us a little about yourself. Include your home town, (2) where you work, (3) why you chose the field of education, and (4) what grade level or content area you would like to teach. Feel free to share any other information you would like about your family, hobbies, pets, etc.
ReplyDeletePost is due January 22, 2010.
My name is Deborah Whitfield and I live in Derby, KS. I am married to a wonderful husband and have 3 boys (two stepsons 17 and 12 and one biological son age 7). I currently work for Parents as Teachers as a Certified Parent Educator sharing developmental information and activities with parents that have children ages birth to 3. I also facilitate a school readiness class with parents that have children ages 4 and 5. I started working for Parents as Teachers 3 years ago when my son started pre-k. We were involved in Parents as Teachers and I loved the program. My current boss gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and I have loved my job ever since. I want to continue working with preschool aged children. My family and I love to camp and go four wheeling. I am busy with school (I am taking 12 hours this semester), work, kids activities, and I also asst. coach my sons soccer and basketball teams.
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah. I just got a job with PATHS as a lead teacher at their daycare site here in Hays. I have been working with EHS as a daycare provider for 3 1/2 years. I have two boys that are 2 and 4. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHI! My name is Jennifer Grabbe. I have been married almost three years. My husband and I live in Schoenchen,KS and we have two boys. One is 2 and the other is 4. I recently closed my daycare and will a lead teacher at a daycare site. My goal is to teach preschool some day. Hopefully with PATHS/Headstart. I like to read, scrapbook my boys, and ride horses.
ReplyDeleteHi! My name is Sarah Scott. I grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas. I currently live in Omaha, NE where I work full time while taking classes. This is my second round of college – have a BS in business administration from UNL. It took me a little longer to realize that teaching is the career I have been looking for. This should be my last semester of classes before I student teach in the fall. I hope to teach in the lower elementary grades –2nd to 4th. I’m excited for this semester and the opportunity to spend more time in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteIn the little free time that I have available… I like to play and watch sports, read, knit and spend time with my nieces and nephew. I have no pets at the moment – back to the no free time issue – but have had Boxers in the past and will again in the future.
My husband and I were married in 2000 and we now have two daughters, a four year old and a one year old. I currently stay home with my girls and I am a full time FHSU student. I was an accountant for a large automotive supplier and my husband worked at Ford Motor Company until the layoffs in 2007. That is when we moved from the Detroit area to Wichita, Kansas. We mrecently moved back to our home State of Michigan after 18 months in Wichita. We are now in Kalamazoo ehich is a 2 hour drive from Detroit (where our entire family resides). At the time, I never thought I would miss Kansas, but I do now. We made a ton of friends and I miss the warmer weather and sunshine. Today was a high of 35 degrees, it feels almost like spring after single digits!! I will definately be back this summer to visit, but I can't beat being able to go to Grandma's for the day (or week) with my girls. I decided to teach when my older daughter was two and she was having separation anxiety from me. I signed her up for a "Mom's Day Out" program at the local church, but she would not let me leave, so I helped out in the class for a few weeks and I loved it. My husband was the one to suggest I go for my teaching degree and I thought it was a great idea also. I love being at home with my kids and I should graduate this year after student teaching in the Fall. I do not have many hobbies due tot he lack of time, but I make it a habit to take the kids for a bike ride or walk through the 40 acre grape vineyard behind our house. The dog loves to run with us also!
ReplyDeleteHello everyone! My name is Kendra Matteson. I currently live in Hays Kansas but grew up on a farm North of Phillipsburg Kansas. For anybody that doesn't know where that is, its located straight north of Hays. I am currently a senior here at FHSU and plan on student teaching in the fall of this year. I have one class left to take in the summer after I complete this semester's classes. I currently work at the hospital in Hays in the admissions office. I love my job and co workers. Will be sad to leave in June after my fiance and I get married. We are getting married May 8th of this year and plan on moving either to Spearville or Dodge City. Where ever we can find a house is where we will be. My degree is going to be K-12 Teaching/Coaching with my health endorsement. My goal is to teach is the elementary school but coach junior high or high school sports. When I have free time outside of school, I love planning my wedding, playing with my two dogs, or working out.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! My name is Lin Crum. My husband, three month old daughter, and I live in Dodge City, KS. We moved here about three years ago. Before that we were living in Pittsburg, KS, but I am originally from Minnesota. I don't work currently since I'm staying home with our daughter, Shannon. The last two years I taught (long-term sub) at the middle school and loved it. I have a Christian education degree, which allowed me to teach at a church school (high school) for 2 years as well as a Christian-based high school for at-risk teens for a year. Last year I was privileged to teach a newcomer class (for students new to the U.S.) and simply adored it. I am pursuing a Spanish content area, but am finding my real passion is ESL. Why education? Why not? Where else can you do more good to positively influence those who need it most?
ReplyDeleteMy name is Martecia Cooper. I am a senior at FHSU and majoring in Elem Ed. I want to teach 3rd graders. I am a stay at home mom and full time student. I have been married for almost 3.5 years to my wonderful husband, William Cooper. We have a daughter who is about to turn 1 on Jan 24 and she is our first child. I want to teach because I love working with kids and love teaching. I am from Wichita, Ks and currently reside here. I have a Bachelor's degree in Communication with an emphasis in Integrated Marketing Communication, which is advertising, marketing and public relations, and a minor in Sociology from Wichita State University in 2005. I have also taken 20 hours towards a Master's degree in Sociology from WSU. I have had many jobs. I have taught Sociology and Psychology at a local community college and decided I liked it but would rather teach children versus adults.
ReplyDeleteok, just trying to see if i type something will my recent photo show up, not the old one of my when i was pregnant
ReplyDeleteHi Lin,
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you. I too have a young daughter, she will be 1 year on Jan 24. I stay at home with our daughter too. My hubby works long hours at Cargill. He works outdoors and is often tired. So I sometimes don't get all the help I could use from him, but I understand. Your teaching background is very interesting and will surely be an asset to you when you start teaching. I agree with you. When someone asks why education, I think the same thing too, why not?
Kendra M.
ReplyDeleteI too am a senior and will student teach Fall 2010 and will graduate in Dec 2010. I am so glad the end is near. I have to take 1 class this summer too, its the reading disability corrections class. Is that the same one you have to take as well? congrats on your upcoming wedding. Wow, I would like to coach middle school high school kids to, but don't know how to do that because I don't want to get a PE degree. What can I do to get the kind of endorsement you have so that I can coach middle and high school too? What sports would you like to coach? I like to workout too. I played basketball and volleyball and ran cross country and track and field.
I. We are getting married May 8th of this year and plan on moving either to Spearville or Dodge City. Where ever we can find a house is
I'm looking forward to working with you all this semester!!!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Mark VonFeldt and I am originally from a small town next to Hays called Victoria. I want to teach physical education to high school students and I choose this field because I enjoy working out and staying fit. I have a wonderful wife, a beautiful 21 month old son, a baby girl on the way, 3 dogs, a cat, and 2 horses (with one baby horse on the way). I have enjoyed reading through your posts and look forward to blogging with all of you this semester. Blogging is totally new to me!!!!
ReplyDeleteI also forgot to mention, as I was not even sure if I was doing this right, that I have a bachelors degree in Kinesiology from Kansas State University and a Masters Degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology from Kansas State as well. I have worked in the athletics department for the past several years working hands on with the Kansas State athletes and now want to take my knowledge and work with high school students.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone! My name is Candace Gay. I grew up in Colby, Kansas. I, as most Colby High graduates, attended Colby Community College and received my Associate of Arts degree in business administration. There, I met my husband, Brandon. We transferred to the University of Kansas where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. We stayed and lived in Lawrence for eight years and I worked in the early childhood education field. I was the director of three early education centers focused on at-risk children ages 2 weeks to 6 years. Although I enjoyed the administrative outlook on education, I feel I belong in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago my mother-in-law became ill and we relocated back to Brandon’s hometown, Norton, Kansas, so he could be with her. I took a job with the Norton school district as the at-risk tutor for grades fourth through sixth. I enjoy every aspect of my job greatly, but cannot wait until I have my own classroom! In the future I would like to teach in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.
As the at-risk tutor, I am part of a team of teachers who touch and enhance children’s lives each day. I want to continue to gain that sense of achievement as I pursue my teaching career. I couldn’t imagine my life without working with children everyday. I also enjoy being back in a small western Kansas town. There really is no place like home!
Along with my position as the at-risk tutor for Norton, I am also doing some case managing work for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I am also an active volunteer for Special Olympics, Autism Speaks, and United Way. In my free time I enjoy cooking, reading and playing with my two Cocker Spaniels, Olivia and Sophia.
Good luck to everyone this semester!!!
Hello everyone. My name is Greg Tibbitt and I am originally from Stuttgart, AR. My wife and I moved out to Liberal, KS this year. I am currently coaching football at Liberal High School as well as teaching a Health class. This is my seventh year to teach/coach. Prior to coming to Liberal, I was the Head Football Coach at a private school in Arkansas for four years. Honestly, the main reason I wanted to get into the education field was to coach football. I love working with teenagers and helping them improve not only as an athlete, but as a student and as young men as well. Therefore, I prefer to work in the secondary education field.
ReplyDeleteMy wife, Whitney, and I have been married for four years. We do not have any children at this point, but somehow we have adopted five dogs over the past few years. So, for now they keep us pretty busy. Whitney is in her 3rd year of teaching Kindergarten and she loves it.
My name is Nikki Burkey, I live in Liberal, Kansas, with my husband and my two children, a boy and a girl ages six and three. I am a substitute teacher for U.S.D. #480, and I absolutely love it! I have been boring my fellow classmates with this story for a year now, but it is the reason I am submitting this blog response today. I coach Pee Wee bowling for children ages three to seven. A young bowler once tugged on my shirt and yelled “teacher, teacher!” I got goose bumps and knew right then and there that education was my calling. I was twenty-eight years old when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I’ve been working toward a degree in elementary education since 2005. I have one more year of classes and will student teach in January 2011. Substituting has allowed me to explore the various grade levels and so far I am focusing on the primary grades, K-3.
ReplyDeleteMy children are my life, but in my spare time I enjoy singing in the church choir, ringing in the hand bell choir. Of course, I married into the sport of bowling (my husband has managed the local bowling center for thirteen years now) so my entire family bowls. I coach the Pee Wees because after age seven, they know more about the sport and are better bowlers than I. We are also the proud parents of three dogs, one cat and ten fish. We recently lost one dog (on December 14) and one fish (a few days ago).
I am excited to work with each of you this semester and wish you the best of luck in your educational endeavors!
This post is in response to Greg T. Hi! I have lived in Liberal for eight years now! I believe I substituted in your wife's kindergarten class; does she teach at MacArthur? I'm at the high school quite a bit and will be subbing for Mrs. Coach Price two days this week. It's great to have a fellow Liberalite in class! Best of luck to you this semester!
ReplyDeleteKendra,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your upcoming wedding! Glad to hear that you are moving to our neck of the woods. That is great because Dodge always needs competent teachers. I bet you will be a great asset here. Dodge is about 80% latino which impacts our school district as you might have guessed. We have about 75% free and reduced lunches. Everyone is encouraged to get their ESL endorsement (which typically the district will spring for). And, unfortunately, because of the racial tensions and gang rivalries we have about 80 drive-bys per year. It can be a challenging district to teach in but also a very rewarding one. Good luck to you this semester and in the future.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteMy husband, James, and I have also been married for four years and he, like Whitney, is in his third year of teaching, but he teaches 8th grade math. It is so wonderful that you both will be teachers. That means summers off together! It has done so much to build our marriage to have that time together. James and I taught at the same middle school which was great because we could collaborate and brainstorm ways to handle situations or different ways to present material together. But we also found that it was hard to leave school at school and not let it rule our lives. We finally found those boundaries, I think. I hope you get to enjoy your summers together and can learn from each other too.
My name is Emily Lowry and I live on a ranch in north central Kansas - Prairie View. My husband and I have been married for three years and are currently raising five children. We both had sons from previous marriages and in the last year have adopted two biological sisters and are hoping to also adopt a 2y/o boy that has been with us since July. I have been working on my secondary education degree in mathematics since 2004 and hope to be completed in the next two years. This is my first year to quit working and take classes full time, but with five children, lots of cows and horses, and two children in sports it feels like a full time job. I have wanted to teach math since I was 19y/o for reasons I do not know. I just know that I always enjoyed math. I intially thought I would teach HS but my last job was a secretary in a JH, which made me realize how much I enjoy that age group. If things go well I hope to teach at my children's JH school.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Audrey Hanna, I am from Hill City Kansas. I live in Hays as of right now, but I will be moving to Atwood Kansas here in the next couple of weeks. I currently work at Whiskey Creek as a waitress, but as soon as I move I will substitute teach while finishing up this semester. I will student teach next semester. My content area is K-12 Physical Eductional with an endorsement in Health Education. I will be getting married in June, it's very exciting and busy trying to work, go to school full time, and plan a WEDDING!!! I know Kendra Matteson knows what I'm talking about! I love to hunt, be outdoors, ride horses, and run. I hope everybody has a great semester!
My name is Erin Allen and I live in Clay Center, Kansas. I am married to an amazing man with two boys, Dominic (6) and Devon (5). I currently am not working but I do take on many substitute jobs in our town’s elementary school system. I have chosen the field of education for my career path because I love children and the ability to provide a positive learning environment. I have worked in the school system as a Para educator as well as an Instruction Aide. I feel that I would like to be able to work with children from first to third grade. There is just something about this age group that makes teaching such a reward.
ReplyDeleteHello- I am Mary Hessenflow. I live in Beloit,KS and work as a substitute teacher. I picked the education field because I love being around children and watching them discover the world around them. The grade level that I am really interested in is 5th or 6th because they are going through an interesting transition from being a young child to more of a pre-teen.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Shane Olson and I am a Para educator in Beloit Kansas. My wife and I have two kids named Ellie and Kanean. We also have two dogs named Harley and Mason. I kind of feel like the education field chose me. In the small town I live in jobs are limited and when I was hired on at the school district I was ready to try anything. Now I am back in school working on my second Bachelors and ready to have my own classroom someday. I never thought I would say that I enjoyed going to work but I do!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Beloit, KS, graduating almost eight years ago! I attended KSU, majoring in Secondary Math Education and shortly thereafter I switched to Elementary Education. Then again I switched to Park Management, Conservation, and Recreation with an emphasis on Environmental Interpretation. I worked for Colorado State Parks for awhile after graduating from KSU.
ReplyDeleteI then decided that I wanted to return to school and get my degree in Elementary Education after all. I do not regret majoring in Park Management and Conservation because I gained a lot of valuable information, including many lessons and activities that I can bring to my elementary classroom. Plus, I met my future-husband during my Conservation internship!
I have worked with kindergarteners and first graders as a teacher’s aide. I really enjoy those grade levels because I like working with emergent readers. However, for the past six months I have been a substitute teacher and this experience has allowed me to be in a variety of classroom settings from general grade levels to an autistic classroom. At this point I am leaning more towards the lower grades levels, but I am open to teaching any garde.
I now live in Ellsworth with my husband, Michael, of three months. We spend our time traveling, fishing & hunting, and going to KSU b-ball games.
Hi Mary & Shane,
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize we would all be taking this class at the same time. We are all in the second Bachelor's degree club too! Good luck this semester!
Hi! My name is Connie Heskamp and I am currently a Para-Educator at our middle school in Spearville, KS where I live with my husband and 3 children. In July, 2007 I lost my job of 11 years as a graphic artist for Feist/Yellowbook. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for a job. I hated the thought of having to go out and find a new one. My father-in-law, who had been a math teacher in previous years, persuaded me to go back to college and get my teaching certificate. I had always wanted to work with kids and become a teacher, so I jumped at this huge opportunity. I have been working at our middle school for the last two years and have really enjoyed working with the middle school students. So, I truly believe that I have chosen the right career.
ReplyDeleteI will finish my education in the Fall 2010 with a bachelors degree in business education. I hope to be able to teach at the school that I am currently working in as a business/computer technology teacher. I also have coached MS basketball and track for the last two years and hope to continue this also.
I enjoy following my children in all of their activities and spending time with my family. This is one of the reasons that I have chosen teaching as a career. It will allow me to be home more often and be on the same schedule as them.
I also enjoy going to sporting events, watching college football and basketball, photography, and scrapbooking in my free time. I can't wait for the chance to do more of this, when I get finished with my college education.
I'm looking forward to this class. Good luck to everyone this semester!
Hi, my name is Christal and my hometown is Park City, Kansas! This is a little town that runs into Wichita. I am currently run a preschool and have done this for 18 years altogether. I love children and am ready to jump to the next level of teaching with older children. I am going to teach business at the secondary level. I cannot wait to get this class going and learn as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Natausha Dechant and I was born and raised in Stafford, Kansas. I currently live in St. John, Kansas which is a nice small town and I like that. I live close to my parents and my grandma and I really like that. I have two brothers and one sister. My sister is getting married in June, my youngest brother is in the Marines, and my oldest brother is finishing up his masters at WSU. When I am not doing my online courses, I work at the local elementary school as a special education para and a general education classroom para. I greatly enjoy my job and it has helped me ensure that what I am going to school for is something that I actually want to do for the rest of my life. I chose the field of education because I enjoy being around and helping children; everyday is different, no two events taking place exactly the same because no two students are the same. When I complete my school work and finally get the chance to teacher, I would really like to teach 1st grade. 1st grade is the class I’m in the most throughout the day and have grown to enjoy it very much. Finally, when I am not working or doing homework I enjoy hunting, cooking, riding horses, spending time with family/friends, and being with my boyfriend. Also my boyfriend and I have 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 3 horses; lots of fun!! I enjoy getting to know everyone this semester and good luck with the course.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Joe Holdren. I am originally from Nebraska, but have been living and teaching in Beloit, KS for the last two years. I am married and have two children. I teach at St. John the Baptist Catholic High School. I teach science for students 6th grade to 12th grade. I enjoy teaching and coaching.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! My name is Alyson Burkhart and I live in Great Bend, KS. My husband and I have 3 children (Peyton is 13, Brookly is 10, and Beau is 5). I have a regular Early Childhood Teaching certificate and am working to add the ECU endorsement to be licensed to teach Special Education. I am currently teaching under a waiver as an ECSE Itinerant teacher in the mornings and in the afternoons I teach 2nd grade at a private school.
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed working with children and never really considered doing anything else. However, I have recently decided to go back into the classroom and actually teach, especially in the area of special education.
For the past several years, I have worked on the administrative side of education as a Preschool Director and an Education Coordinator. Before that, I worked for 8 years in the mental health field as a children's case manager. My area of interest is working with children with emotional disorders and children with autism.
I look forward to interacting with and learning from everyone!
My name is Cher Bohl. I reside in Moscow, Kansas where I currently am a special education para. I have a BS degree in psychology. I have 31 hours left to obtain my elementary education degree with a minor in special education. I am married and have 4 children. I have always worked with all groups of children and decided that special needs children were my passion. I love that I can still have a job, tend to my family and still take online classes to get my education and I can do it according to my schedule. I love online learning and look forward to a great semester. I also look forward to networking with fellow students and professors, after all that is what makes online learning fun.
ReplyDelete