Elizabeth Criddle: A 45-Year-Old Chemistry Teacher

Andrew “Andy” J. Stoneridge is a 3rd grade student attending Michael Valley Elementary School in Pasadena, Maryland. His homeroom teacher’s name is Ms. Julie King and in her room, are approximately 28 students. Ms. King is a general education teacher teaching the subjects reading, writing, and social studies. Andy’s other core teacher, Mr. Baker, teaches Andy math, science, and health. Mr. Baker is also a general education teacher. In each of these rooms, there are two teacher’s aides and one classroom tutor.

After observing, communicating with, and analyzing the work of Kayson Maciel-Andrews, I have learned many things about working with advanced students in a low-achieving classroom. At my internship site, we have a very low population of talented and gifted students, less than 2%, and therefore, getting the opportunity to work closely with one of these students was a very unique opportunity for me.

The teacher I interviewed for this project was a fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Keith Wolkovitz. This teacher has been teaching at East Rock Community Magnet School for his entire career of eleven years. East Rock Community Magnet School is a Title I school in the New Haven School District. The school has a very diverse population and over 90% of the students qualify for the free-reduced lunch program. As a Title I school, the school is also mandated by the state to implement certain remedial interventions to improve students’ academic scores.

On February 1st, I visited the Britton Macon Area School. The teacher I observed was Ms. Richardson. She teaches a self-contained classroom for middle and high school grades. I started the observation at 8:00 A.M. until 11:32 A.M.

The exuberant and laid back Miss Hancock made for a great elementary teacher but not so much for secondary. The high school students quickly strip Miss Hancock “of [her] 15 years of overblown confidence” (77). In reality, the students need a sterner teacher that can balance laid-back with discipline. Moreover, Miss Hancock is too dependent on her confidence; as soon as her confidence is broken she becomes pathetic. A “desperate

I have had the pleasure of teaching Fantashia Felder during her sophomore year. It is because of students like Fantashia that I prefer teaching tenth grade over any other. What makes this year so special is that teachers can truly see the transformation of their students from children, to young adults. It's a pivotal moment in a child's life where they must decide if they want to become focused on their academic and professional careers or become super apathetic. Fantashia chose to turn her life around and I am so happy I was able to witness such a beautiful transformation.

Always an attentive student, Ms. Davis is engaged and active during both instruction time and during the lab activity. Through the class, Ms. Davis is constantly improving and accepts feedback. She approaches assignments and group work with high energy and rigor. Although at times Ms. Davis may face difficulty she is constantly trying to better for herself and learn from her mistakes.

Sarah Brown Wessling was a teacher who won the award for National Teacher of the Year in 2010. She was chosen because of her dedication to remove the hierarchy in the classroom and her recognizing the importance of being “vulnerable, imperfect, authentic, and insatiable” (Wessling). Sarah Wessling has taken the challenges that every teacher faces in the idea of providing all students with a strong educational environment that stimulates every child to learn to the best of their ability. She found that a classroom is not a lecture, but a hands on group of “thinkers.” She is there to ask questions; to provide structured conversation on topics that allow the students to find the answers on their own. This would not be possible unless she opened

The teachers profiled in “Unforgettable Miss Bessie”, “My Favorite Teacher”, and “And the Orchestra Played On” are remembered and admired by the narrators. Miss Bessie, Miss Hattie, and Mr. K. possessed significant qualities that made them remarkable educators. They inspired and encouraged students. They only wanted the best for their students and prepared them for their futures, enabling them to overcome difficulties in school. Besides the content of their subject matter these educators their taught students to believe that their lives and future all depends from themselves: whether they would choose the clean asphalt road or dirty, bumpy one.

I was sent to observe Mrs. Cannon 's 1st grade class after she contacted Dr. Jekyll at Athens State. Upon entering Mrs. Cannon 's classroom I noticed that her room is colorful and the student 's work is displayed all around her room. The desks are in rows, there is a Math Center, and there is a rug as the reading area.

This year I had the prestigious honor of being in Ms. Brown’s class, and let me tell you, it was anything but normal. Ms. Brown’s cheerfulness (and maybe a bit of messiness) really helped me realize that teachers actually have lives. They’re not just some robots who are only activated to teach, and then turned off when the class leaves, as much as we might think they are.

It is hard to overstate the meaningful contributions that Daphne Varela has made to Westgate High School and the surrounding community. As both her 10th and 12th grade Science teacher, I've had the pleasure of seeing Daphne make profound contributions both in and out of the classroom. Her school and community service is motivated by a strong sense of ethics, which she informs through a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of historical trends and events. I can say with confidence that Daphne is one of the most caring and driven students I've ever taught.

In that class, the student learns about different teaching methods and how to care for children. As part of the curriculum, we volunteered at Long Elementary as teacher aides. Working with 4th grade students and observing an everyday class room was such an awe-inspiring experience. I had a completely new perspective about teachers. I have so much more respect as before. Teachers put so much time and effort into helping children for their benefits. I knew from the first day I helped with Ms. Williams’ 4th grade class, how much a teacher is a positive influence on children. There is an overwhelming feeling when you help a student with a problem and in return they give you the most heart-warming smile. The experience at Long Elementary helped me make my final decision on whether I wanted to teach elementary or secondary school. As much as I enjoyed helping elementary students, in my heart I knew secondary school was the path God had in store for me.

Mrs. Smith was the high-ranking “officer” at our middle school, whose sole purpose was to whip her “gifted but undisciplined kids” into shape. I take that back. Introducing sixth-graders to ulcers was another likely item on her agenda. She had a natural march in her step, setting the admired and ideal pace for others to follow. Mrs. Smith performed classroom procedures as though she had repeatedly

The rooms were inviting, and the students were engaged in learning. I quickly noticed that having a positive, and inviting classroom environment is of upmost importance for successful student learning. As the students walked through the second grade classroom they were greeted with a hug. When the students’ finished their morning work, the chimes signaled the students to line up, and transition to their first class of the day which is Science. This is where I was able to observe both Mrs. Stanford, and Mrs. Taylor