Personal Statement: A Career In Education

I am a 55 year old teacher of art, computer and gifted classes; however teaching elementary and middle school students is my second career, initially I was a producer in advertising and textbook publishing. I have no children, and have never married… yet.

Greetings to you all! I am Erika Kennedy. I currently live in Georgia where I am a first grade teacher. I have been teaching for 15 years and I don't consider it a job, but my purpose in life. I enjoy what I do and count it as a privilege to be able to make a difference in the lives of students and families where I am invested. Honestly, as I considered my next steps in my career, somehow I always knew that I was destined to do more than just that of a classroom setting. Others often encouraged me to step up more in the area of leadership, however, I sat back waiting for my turn to take the lead. Soon I realized that I didn't have to wait on others to push me into the position that I desired, but that I can set my own career path. Staying

I am a highly qualified teacher with six years of experience in the classroom. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and currently seeking a Master degree in School Counseling. Over the past six years, I have been a primary classroom teacher which has allow me to gain many skills and experience that has helped me in the classroom.

I love working with kids, I have my Elementary Teaching Certification for grades K-6 from Ramapo College of New Jersey. Similarly, from July to August 2014 I worked as a Teachers Aide at Ramapo Explorers: STEM CAMP, providing a positive and supportive classroom management system for middle school students. From March 2014 to August 2014 I worked at Golden Steps Learning Center where I was a Teachers Assistant. My responsibilities included: composing a lesson plan and assisting the teacher on their lesson. Then from June to August 2015 I was a Teachers Assistant at the Goddard School. I experienced solo class time and improvised in order to keep class running smoothly and stay on a tight schedule. Then from September-December 2015 I student

All my life I have been indecisive about the career path I should take, but lately I have taken into consideration a job that accommodates me. In a career as an elementary teacher it focuses on teaching kids the fundamental subjects including math, science, language arts, social studies, and the arts ; anywhere from kindergarten to about the fifth grade. Besides teaching them academic skills, teachers look into the child’s exceeding abilities and their weaker ones. I feel that at this moment this is the career that suits me and appeals as most interesting, because it can be considered a long term job. Apart of that it has its benefits like good

Please explain what art materials/camp projects you are most interested in? (ex. claymation, stop motion, drawing, painting, fashion, etc.)

My junior year I took Careers in education 1 and this year I am taking Careers in Education 2. I have participated in many activities through Careers in Education. The major activity I participate in is volunteering for a 7th grade math class. I student teach at Akers Elementary School monday through friday during third and fourth period. During my first year of Careers in Education my junior year we did a lot of book work about education and strategies in Mr.Foote's class. This was a very big thing I believe because a lot of the things we learned from the book transfer over to teaching in the classroom. Careers in Education helps students further their knowledge on different career options in education. In this sector

My past personal and professional experience started with volunteering at a childcare facility in 2008. I was only 17 old and I would come after school to help out with the different age groups from ages 2 to 6 years old and also after schools ages 7 to 12. When I would come after school I would assist the teachers with activity preparations, organization and documentation regarding the files for the students and making sure that everything was up to date. Ever since volunteering at a childcare facility I started to become more interested in teaching and how much an influence I can be when it came to teaching. My freshman year in high school had introduced me to some amazing teachers throughout my adolescent years and it continued throughout

- A career that interest me. I am a very indecisive person, so I really don’t have a ‘goal’ for something that I want to do, but I have a few options and various ways to go about it. How I am first gonna start out is obviously graduating Port St. Lucie High School. I would like to graduate with over a 3.0, have some scholarships for when I set off to college, and then just get my life started right then and there. When I am finished with high school, I should already have a job and a car by then.

After receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, I plan to further my education through UNC Charlotte’s M.Ed. in Special Education, Major in Academically or Intellectually Gifted program. I then aspire to teach in CMS schools, serving the needs of Academically or Intellectually Gifted children specifically. My career goals in the field of education are to start out teaching my own class and gaining invaluable experience in the classroom. After a numbers of years working with a large group of my own students, I strive to move to a position in which I am part of a program targeted specifically at meeting the academic needs of AIG students.

Many people do not realize how important getting an education is; some people believe that it is not worth the time nor the effort. I am not saying that I am against it, but to me going to college is all I have thought about since I was a child; being able to learn and master a new skill just excites me more than anything. It has also motivated me throughout my whole education, especially since no one in my family has ever attended college: it is like opening a new door for my family since my family and I have been through hard times: my dad died when I was six years old thus leading to the result that my mom had to support me herself. My mom considered this terrible situation as a nightmare. Why? Well first of all she did not attend college and second, her work was pretty much anything that could pay the bills and buy clothes for both of us.

Growing up, education was not the first priority in my family. Education always took a backseat to helping my mother who is mentally and physically disabled and my 10 siblings. By the time I was 18 years old, I was able to administer my mother’s insulin shots, give my mother the correct dosage of her medication and when she would have a seizure attack, I knew how to calm her down. I found comfort in knowing that I could assist my mother, and when we would go to the doctor for her checkups, it was always good reports. Unexpectedly, my father slipped into a diabetic coma for over 3 months, before passing away from kidney failure years after. In addition, my older brother was sentenced to life in prison with no parole. Everything seemed to go down hill from there. I started getting bad grades, hanging out with a bad crowd. My interest for anything started to slip away. There was a particular moment where I was sitting in my car at the beach, angry about my father’s death, and I thought to myself, “what could I do to make things better”, and it was then I had realized that I couldn’t change what has happened to my father, nor my brother, but I can change what is happening to me. In turn, this realization and being involved with my mother’s health, the motivation given to me by family, peers, and teachers all led me to want to pursue success though my greatest

My decision to be a teacher did not come easily to me. This choice was dependent on a reflection about what I was passionate about and how I could make a difference. I have chosen to become a teacher, as I believe teachers have the ability to provide future generations the stimulation for one of the most significant roles in life; to become a lifelong learner. Many teachers that I have had during my education have had a positive impact on my decision to grow and develop the skills that are fundamental to pursue a successful teaching career. My aim is to be a part of an honorable profession with the optimism that one day I will become an efficacious teacher who can provide future teachers with inspiration, as my teachers have provided for me. Through personal educational experiences and peer-reviewed academic literature, I am able to shape my approach to my pre-service teaching, as it will influence my future practice. As a teacher, there is not just one singular approach to educating students; there is a need for flexibility, diversity, adaptation and reflection.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that in my future I wanted to become a teacher. I always looked up to my teachers, especially the ones I had in elementary school. I even played 'school' with my friends and pretended I had my own classroom. I loved being in charge. During a summer, I was given the opportunity to work as an Energy Express mentor and work with a group of eight children. This was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever been through. I was a mentor to help guide the children, and by the end of the summer I felt as if I had really accomplished something. I am planning to pursue a career in elementary education. I love children, and just knowing that as a

I have been a preschool teacher, teaching mixed age children from 18 months to 5 years, for over 10 years. I started as a work study employee, while attending the Community College of Philadelphia in 2006, to a part-time teaching assistant while attending Temple University in 2010. This led me to a lead-teacher position after graduation and then to a program coordinator. I have developed effective working relationships with children in the past years. This position has helped me improve my teamwork and interpersonal skills by cooperating with other teachers in planning teaching materials according to the Reggio Emilia approach and by sharing teaching resources. I decided that working with children, understanding and assisting in their education,