Please introduce yourself to the class of both face-to-face and virtual
candidates. Tell us about yourself (family, schooling, hometown,
hobbies, pets, birthday, etc.). Also tell why you chose the field of
elementary education and who influenced you to go into education.
This is due by the first day of class... Monday, August 20 at midnight (Central Standard Time).
Hello classmates. My name is Barney Pontious. I am excited to begin this semester. I live in Southeast Kansas, Parsons to be exact. I have been an electrician for many years and finally decided to follow my dream of being a teacher. I changed jobs last year to become an ISS supervisor for a local school district but this year has brought a new opportunity. I will be beginning my job as a reading and mathematics interventionist in just a few days. this should be helpful and it is also very scary. I have always wanted to be in teaching and am happy to be progressing along the way. I have a lovely wife and two 7 year old girls. I also have a little boy who is almost 16 months and he is a tornado for sure. I am sure you can well imagine what life is like in our household. Wish me luck for a crazy semester. Good luck to you all.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new job, how exciting! I know what you mean about it being scarey but helpful. I am starting a new position as a Title One Reading Teacher and I feel the same way. Good luck to you and I look forward to getting to know everyone.
DeleteI also am in the process of changing my career from one centered on medical care to become a teacher. It sounds like you are busy with you family, the new job, and school. I hope you have a great semester!
DeleteHi! My name is Jennifer Willcott and I am a mother of three children and one beautiful Angel. My family just moved from Holton Kansas, to St. Louis Missouri, over the summer! Most of my interest lies with where I am currently at in life. For the past six years I have been at home raising babies but today, my children are finally all out of diapers, potty trained and two are now in school all day. With this said, it is just recently I came to the realization that I may have “time” to begin an actual hobby, besides changing diapers, wiping noses, and not getting a solid night’s sleep, haha!! I have currently started enjoying “making” time in designing hair bows for two of my girls and trying to do crafts from Pintrist. Other than that I enjoy running, participating in 5K runs, volunteering, cooking (baking especially), spending time with my family, and exploring our new community (St. Louis).
ReplyDeleteAfter graduating from Kansas State University in 2005, I got a job at a bank, in which I hated!! Needless to say I got the wrong degree!!!! I decided that what I really wanted to do was teaching so I began to substitute teach. It was the first day ever in a classroom I knew; teaching was my “calling”. Ever since then I have been substituting when I could. I have also been teaching 3rd grade Religious Education for the past 3 years. In 2009, I started my adventure at FHSU and this year marks my last year!
I cannot say anyone in particular influence me into wanting to be a teacher, I just loved school growing up and I was that little girl who played school with my stuffed animals the second I got home, cried when school was canceled, and dreaded being sick! I would like to eventually become a principle in about 10 years. But, for now I will enjoy the opportunity in being a teacher and seeing my dreams of having my own classroom come true along with the dreams of my students!!
Looking forward to it!!
Make sure you take your kids to The City Museum in St. Louis. We just went there and loved it! It is the type of place that makes me wish I was far more creative than I am. It was simply amazing.
DeleteHi Jennifer,
DeleteHolton is a really unique place, my son & his family have lived there for about 3 and 1/2 years, but they are placing thier home on the market to move closer to Topeka. You are a busy lady! I also have always felt the "calling" to teach! Clara
Hello! My name is Sara Dreiling, and I am so excited to say that I am beginning my senior year! I am originally from Great Bend, Kansas. I graduated from Great Bend High School, went to Barton Community College in Great Bend for a year, and then moved to Hays to attend FHSU. For the last two years, I have attended FHSU on campus; however, I moved to Wichita, Kansas this summer so now I will finish up my degree all online. This will be an adventure for me as I normally prefer on campus classes, so wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteAs Jennifer mentioned, I am also a big fan of Pinterest. It has kind of been my inspiration to start cooking more. I am by no means a chef, but I love trying new recipes. I have also found this site to be a WONDERFUL resource to find ideas to use in the classroom. Hopefully, I can put all of the time I spend on there to good use this semester! Another interest of mine is my puppy. Macy is my chocolate lab, but I think I treat her more like a kid than a dog. She has a ton of energy and is so much fun to be around. :)
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I had wonderful teachers throughout all of my schooling who did nothing but encourage and inspire me. I can only hope to be half the teacher and mentor to my future students that they were to me. I would love to teach grades kindergarten through 3rd, but I love being around kids of all ages. I am excited to finish up my degree this spring and begin making my dream a reality!
Congrats on being your last year! I feel you'll enjoy online classes. I love them, you get much more freedom and can work at your pace much more. It is a bit different and may take getting used to. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, I've been doing this for going on 4 years now I believe.
DeletePinterest is great. I've seen a lot of good ideas for just about everything. I first found ideas to build a clothesline, now my fiance and I started a board to collect wedding ideas. The education ideas are great too, I recommend the site to the teachers at my school. Have a good semester.
DeleteI love pintrest, too! I spend way too much time there. I just tried the recipe for 7up biscuits yesterday. They were so good, I made them twice!
DeleteHey Sara! Sad to see you aren't on campus this year! But good luck I'm sure you will do fine. If you need anything just let me know... I hope Wichita is fun for you :)
DeleteHello! My name is Matraca Forell and I am thrilled to announce that I am about to begin my senior year here at FHSU! I am originally from Kensington, Kansas. I graduated Thunder Ridge High in May of 2009 and then moved to Hays to start college. I have recently moved to Smith Center, Kansas to finish up my degree online. I am thrilled to be able to be closer to my family and still maintain my college courses.
ReplyDeleteI am the youngest of three daughters. My oldest sister is married with two adorable children who have become my life and reason for wanting to be the best educator I can be. My middle sister has recently went back to college for nursing. My parents are truly amazing. They have stood behind me one-hundred percent in all the choices I have made throughout my life. My mom has been an educator for over 35 years. She is my inspiration to become a educator that has passion and love for all their students.
My hobbies nine times out of ten include animals! I am passionate animal lover. I currently have two coonhounds, (Yes! We do go coon hunting frequently)one border collie, chickens, ducks, one turkey, goats, and horses! :) The most recent animal I have picked up is raising goats, and I must say I love it. They are a fun loving species. Someday I hope that I can bring my passion for children and animals together. I hope to plan field trips with my future class to learn more about animals!
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer! I look forward to getting to know you all.
Hello, my name is Christine Blundell. I have been married for 19 years, wow time flies, and I have three wonderful boys. Jimmy 17, Caleb 15, and Tyler 12, oh and I probably should mention I have two mini schnauzers that could be considered my children as well. I am originally from Texas but have lived here in Missouri for 13 years so it is my home now.
ReplyDeleteI have worked as a Para for Archie K-12 School District for 10 years. However, this year I am so excited because I will be working as a Title One Reading Assistant Teacher. I love my job!
In my spare time (ha ha) I love to scrapbook. The reason I chose to seek my degree in Elementary Education was because I worked with a teacher 6 years ago that was terrible to the students in her classroom. I decided that year I was going to face my fears and go back to school. I am so glad I did!
I'm thrilled to be at the final stretch before the finish line and I can’t wait for the day I have my own class! Good luck to you all and if you need anything just email me, I check it every day.
My name is Maggie Dickerson and I am married to my wonderful husband Kerry and we have one very witty two and a half year old son, Mark. We have called Kansas home for quite some time, however just in this past year we have re-located to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where my husband is the Assistant Athletic Director for the University of Northern Iowa. Go Panthers!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel I get the best of both worlds, FHSU has allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom and still challenge myself with working towards having a classroom of my own. My husband and I are literally sports nuts, that’s how we met, both working in college athletics. We love basketball, football and trying new things. This fall I am looking forward to being introduced to Big 10 football, a wine trip with friends to Napa and running in my first half-marathon. In addition, to joining many of my other classmates in my spare time on Pintrest!!
I decided to pursue a degree in education after my son Mark was born. He changed my perspective and fascination with the world of education. Prior to pursuing this degree, I attained a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pittsburg State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri of Kansas City. My professional background is in corporate sales and sponsorships and intercollegiate athletics. I am thrilled to be one semester closer to eventually having a classroom of my own.
Hello, My name is Mary Plott; I live in Salina, Ks. and have been married for 24 years. We have 2 boys, ages 23 & 20, and one girl age 13. Our oldest son is training to be a manager at Tradehome Shoes and loves what he does. Our 20 year old is in Australia studying Economics and will be back in November. Our daughter is in 8th grade and plays volleyball and is a cheerleader.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from Concordia, Ks. many many years ago and decided Cosmetology school was something my folks could afford to put me through, so I have done hair on and off since. For the last 9 years I have worked as a paraeducator working with learning disabled and Autistic middle school students. I love what I do and figured I might as well get paid better, so I decided to get my degree. This journey has taken me a long time, but I figure it will all be well worth it. My husband has wanted me to quit and focus only on college, but I love working with the students and teachers. I am blessed to be able to be in a variety of classrooms watching great teachers each day.
I think it is great that even though it has taken you awhile to get through the courses you have stuck it out and have not lost interest. How exciting that your 20 year is in Australia. Did he go there just for the year or has he been there since he began college?
DeleteWelcome to another semester! I'm Ryan Duey, I live in Topeka, KS at the moment with two cats, a dog, and a bunch of fish. I love the outdoors and sports. My big passion is hunting and fishing. You can also get me to watch or play almost any sport.
ReplyDeleteI am currently a senior and am in my final year at FHSU, almost done! I am fortunate enough to be able to finish my schooling without having to work, so no job to speak of. I previously worked as a School Age Teacher at a Daycare for about two years. I have been working with children off and on since 2007. Getting a job as a daycare teacher is what mainly influenced me into becoming a teacher. I wanted to see if I would enjoy working with children as much as I hoped I would, luckily I did. That's me in a nutshell, everybody have a great semester and I look forward to working with you all.
Hi Ryan,
DeleteI too am a senior, but have another year yet of classes because of my snails pace! I live just outside of Topeka, in Berryton. It's always nice to know there are others in the area! Good luck!
Clara
My name is Sam Amburgey and this is my second year at Fort Hays State University. I live in Wichita, KS where I have worked as a paraeducator at a middle school for 4 years. I also served in AmeriCorps at a dual language school in Wichita. Over the summer, my girlfriend and I got engaged so it has been a busy couple of months. My brother had a son last Spring so I have also spent sometime watching my nephew this summer. I have a Boston Terrier named Winslow who is 11 years old. My hobbies include playing guitar and watching DVDs and shows about true crime. I graduated from KU in 2005 from the Journalism School. My adviser asked me what my plans were and I told her that I wanted to become a teacher. She encouraged me to follow that path. I tried to get in touch with her a few years back and found out that she had died of an unexpected heart attack. I guess this is one of the things that really motivated me to return to school to finish an education degree. I chose elementary education because after working in a middle school for a while, I've realized that children can really be benefited from strong teachers as early as possible
ReplyDeleteSam,
DeleteI am sorry to hear about your adviser's death. I was sent a newsletter from a former college that I attended. Inside the newsletter, there was an article about the death of my former director of one of the play's that I was in. I was shocked she died so young. She inspired my love for the theater. I think that is why I take an interest to those who want to be actors. I try to offer rookies the same advice that she gave me.
Sam,
DeleteI am sorry to hear about the death of your adviser. I received a newsletter from a a former college that I attended. In the newsletter, there was an article about the death of a professor. The professor was the director of a play that I was in. She instilled in me my love for the theater. After working with her, I gave up my acting roots and decided to assist the stage director in creating the sets. I try to giving rookie actors some of the advice that she gave to me.
Hi my name is Ashleigh Greene. I have a B.S. degree in Psychology and a M.S. degree in Marriage and Family therapy. I worked in the social services field for 10 years and I am making a transition into the education field. I have always been interested in education and many call me the professional student. I currently teach in the Psychology department for Southwestern College and I work as an ESOL para in the Wichita Public School district at a local middle school. I have been married for 9 years and have a 2 year old daughter. My husband just finished his nursing degree and is working on his BSN at Tabor college. For fun we enjoy biking and hanging out with family and friends.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashleigh, welcome to class.
DeleteSounds like education is important to you and your husband. All of your life experience should serve you well in education. Good luck in class.
My name is Ami Higgins, and I live in Wichita, KS. I have been working on my Elementary Ed. degree for the last five years! I went back to school after about 15 years, and it's been an extremely rewarding experience! Along with my studies, I continue to be a stay-at-home mom to my youngest son, who just turned 5; this has been a big blessing for me with all of my kids. My husband and I just recently celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and we have four children, 2 boys and 2 girls, who keep us very busy, along with our cocker spaniel who's almost 2! With my busy family life, it's taken me much longer to finish school, but I continue to chip away, and I'm getting closer each semester! My husband and children are my biggest supporters; they have been a major source of encouragement for me as I progress through each class!
ReplyDeleteBefore having my own children and for a few years after my 2nd child started preschool, I had several years of preschool teaching experience. I really enjoyed interacting with the kids and guiding them through classroom activities. As my own children started to enter grade school, I had the opportunity to help in their classrooms periodically and really enjoyed working with the grade school age students. No one really influenced me to go into education specifically; I've always talked about teaching though, and my parents and my husband have always told me that I could do this and that I'd be good at it. I finally decided this was the time!
I'm looking forward to continuing my journey through this class!
Congratulations on pursuing a dream and being so determined to get it completed! I am a single mom and totally understand how important it is to have a great support group behind you while you take these classes. I could not do this with out the help of my parents and my children - they have been there for me each step of the way as well.
DeleteHi, my name is Stacy Bateman and I live in Big Piney, Wyoming. This summer I moved from Chapman, KS back to the mountains of Wyoming. The state is home for our family, and I am really thrilled to be back. I have two children – my daughter is 10 and my son is 8. I love to spend my spare time with my kids, and attend all of their activities; which include dance, girl scouts, piano lessons, and horseback riding lessons for my daughter, and all sports for my son. Hobbies would include baking, reading and watching sporting events.
ReplyDeleteLast year I was working as a Para Educator at the Chapman Middle School in Kansas. I have also been a teacher’s aide, a conference call center operator, and a zoo employee. I have also been able to enjoy other working environments, including hotel, mortgage, real estate and river rafting. I am looking forward to finishing my elementary degree in 1 1/2 years. This year I am planning on substituting whenever I can and working with my mentor teacher two days a week.
I am in my 3rd semester at Fort Hays, after 14 years hiatus from the college scene. When I was originally in college I received a bachelor’s in Business Administration with a marketing emphasis. However, I never utilized the degree. I knew that someday I would return to get my teaching certificate, so I am excited to finally pursue this dream. My influences in getting into the education field comes from my father who is currently a principal at Big Piney Middle School, and has been in education for over 40 years - as well as the inspiration I get from my children. I love working with our youth - whether it is in a sporting event or in the classroom. I get really excited when the students grasp the concept you are teaching them and you can see that light bulb come on.
Hello, my name is Patti Isaac. I am a wife and a mother of five. My oldest daughter is married and lives in Japan and my son is also going to college and my younger kids are in high school and elementary school. They keep me extremely busy, but are all wonderful and I feel truly blessed that they are in my life. We live in Meade, KS. We have a golden retriever named Sam and a little bunny that the kids named Hopper. My birthday is December 1st. When I have free time, I love to read, scrapbook and my new favorite pastime is checking out new ideas and recipes on Pinterest. I absolutely love fall because the weather is cool but not cold yet and school starts. I have always loved school for as long as I can remember. I am in my senior year of college. After completing this semester, I will student teach. I am very excited about that. I have always wanted to be a teacher, but I chose not to go to college, but instead to have children and invest all of my time into raising them. Once all of my kids were in school, I was able to begin taking classes. When I first began taking classes I also began working as a Para Educator. Once I completed my Associates degree I was able to substitute in every grade level from kindergarten through eighth grade. I also teach 3rd-4th grade in Sunday school. My favorite experience so far is working as a long-term sub in kindergarten for the last six weeks of school. It was an invaluable experience.
ReplyDeleteThe person who influenced me the most to become a teacher was my fifth grade teacher. She was kind, had high expectations, made learning fun, and cared about each of us in the class. I hope to be just like her as I begin to teach. I look forward to learning with all of you!
Patti, I am so excited to see you in this class with me! I have loved working with you in other classes. Best of luck on a successful semester! ~Stacy Bateman
DeleteHi everyone! I am a senior here at FHSU and have been on campus my entire college career. I am originally from Derby, KS where my family lives along with my older sister. I do not have many hobbies, I spend my time in school and at work. I work at the gymnastics academy here in Hays and I LOVE my job. It is so great to spend time with children outside of the classroom and see what their strengths are. My mother has influenced me to be a teacher, students from 20+ years ago will still recognize her and tell her how big of an impact that she made on their life. It is so inspiring to be able to make such a positive influence on someone. I look forward to a great semester with you all ! :)
ReplyDeleteHello everyone. My name is Rebecca Reddin. I am the mother of three beautiful children. They are 10, 8 and 6. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 15 ½ years. I live in Gardner, KS, which is just outside the KC Metro area. We are avid campers and love to be at the lake whenever time allows. We are soon to be on the go with flag football, boy scout and girl scout meetings, piano and cello lessons. My husband is a law enforcement officer and he works a lot of evenings, so it's usually me juggling the kid’s activities. It is very hectic, but also rewarding, being in school full-time, having a full-time job and having 3 children. I have been a licensed day care provider for 8 years now. I love working with children, but now that my 3 are in school full-time, it is time to get out of the house, hence, my soon-to-be, new profession as an Elementary School Teacher.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, I gave a presentation in biology and, afterwards, my teacher asked if I had ever thought of becoming a teacher. I had no desire to become a teacher when I was so young, but that is now the path I am taking at 41. I made my career choice a little late in life, but then I probably wouldn’t have been able to stay at home with my children and I definitely wouldn’t trade that life experience for anything.
This is my last full year of classes. Next year I have one semester of classes and then I will be ready to student teach in spring of 2014. I am both nervous and excited as I am getting closer to finishing my degree. Good luck to all of you this semester!
Hello fellow classmates! I am a senior here at Fort Hays and it is my second year here. I am a transfer student from Hutchinson Community College. I am from Garden City, KS and have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. I am on the track team here at Hays and have been doing track since I was way little. This summer I worked at a daycare and Applebees. I absolutely love kids and want them to have a bright future and knowing I am part of the reason for their great future is a big deal to me. I had great teachers growing up and they influenced me about making a difference in students lives. I can't wait to meet all of you!
ReplyDeleteHi, My name is Kristyn Glavin and I am a senior here at FHSU. I am originally from Salina, KS where I attended Salina South High School. After high school I went to K-State for a year and decided that it was to big and not for me so I transferred to Hutchinson Community College. After graduating from HCC I transferred to FHSU. I have one younger brother who is a Freshman at HCC. When I go home for breaks I am a teller at The Bank of Tescott. I feel that the teachers I had through out my years of schooling have inspired me to go into teaching. I enjoys seeing students who are struggling at something and when they finally understand the sense of accomplishment that is seen. I am looking forward to a great semester!
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Danny Simon and I'm a senior here at Fort Hays. I'm also from Hays. I've lived in Hays since I moved here from Denver when I was 8 years old. Here at Fort Hays I run cross country and track and I love to run. My parents also live in Hays and their names are Gary and Jacki, my little brother Aaron goes here and will be a sophomore this year. I have two older siblings, Michael and Debi. I love working with kids and, having had several wonderful teachers growing up, figured that this profession was right for me. Specifically, my fifth grade teachers influenced me the greatest. I'm really looking forward to this semester and this season of cross country!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Heather May. I have been married for 16 years, and have three sons. They are 15, 13 and 10. My husband and I meet as undergrads at Kansas State University. We lived in the Manhattan area for 13 years, then moved back to my hometown of Lathrop, MO. We now live just a half mile from my parents, 20 miles from my grandparents, and this summer, my in-laws moved from Manhattan to a town just fifteen miles away. My boys go to my former elementary/high school, which is a bit surreal.
ReplyDeleteI love photography, reading, and traveling. This past summer we went to Walt Disney World with our immediate family, plus two cousins. We ended up spending three glorious weeks in Florida. Next summer we are planning on going to the pacific northwest region to tour four national parks up in that area. We hope to take the same two cousins with us, if their parents say yes.
I got an undergraduate degree in Horticultural Therapy and a Master of Agribusiness from Kansas State University. While I love those degrees, and the opportunities they offer, they did not offer the same schedule as my children. I got a job as a para the day my youngest started Kindergarten, and love it. I decided to get a degree in education so I could continue to work with students and have the same schedule as my children. I plan on incorporating my horticulture knowledge into the classroom. I have three semesters left at FHSU. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel seems long.
Hello everyone, I am Samantha Teri. I live in Cunningham, Ks with my husband and two children that are 9 and almost 6. I am a senior at FHSU and will be student teaching next year. I am very excited to be getting closer to finishing school and being able to teach students on a daily basis. I substitute when I can and teach preschool two days a week at a local church. I decided I wanted to become a teacher when my son's preschool teacher asked me to teach at vacation bible school one summer. I fell in love with teaching and have now taught VBS for 6 years, along with teaching PSR for 3 years now. I do not have a lot of time for hobbies, but when I can, I enjoy a good book, baking, and riding bikes with my children.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! My name is Kitrina Schuette and I am a senior at Fort Hays. I am from Dodge City, where I lived my entire life before moving to Hays four years ago. I work at Bath and Body Works during the school year, but this summer I was home working a summer camp for the fifth year. I enjoy being able to come home and be with my family in the summer, but more importantly I love working with the children.
ReplyDeleteI have an older brother and an older sister. My brother is married and he and his wife have two children. My sister is also married. My mom was a teacher for 32 years and I spent the majority of my time helping her in her classroom or playing around the school when I was little. She was the person who really inspired me to become a teacher. I have been able to see how many lives she touched/influenced in her time as a teacher and I hope that I will be able to do the same someday and have that much of an impact.
My name is Charelle Schneider, and I live in Herington, KS. I have been married for 18 years to my wonderful and supporting husband, Steve. We have three beautiful children together, Tanner,who is starting 10th grade, Trenden, who is in 7th grade this year, and our daughter Payten is in 6th grade. We decided to be closer to family 6 years ago, so we moved from Bentonville, AR back home here to KS. I believe family values are important to teach our children at an early age, so that is one of the main reasons we chose to move back home.
ReplyDeleteI have attended FHSU online for 4 years now, and this is my last semester in the classroom before I student teach. My major is elementary education and my minor is special education. I have worked as a Para educator in special education for goin on 6 years, and I absolutely love my job and working with children. Some of my hobbies are watching my children play their sports, camping with friends, and spending time with my family.
I love taking my children to different parts of the United States to see things they will remember for the rest of their lives. This past summer my kids and I took a trip to Arizona. While we were there we got to see the Grand Canyon, spend time in the Haulaupi mountains, tour Las Vegas,visit Hoover Dam, and see London Bridge in Havasu City.
I chose elementary special education as a career because I absolutely love the idea of working with children, and truly believe that this field is my calling in life. I have always worked with children since I garduated high school. I started out working in a daycare facility, then owning my own daycare. I eventually took a job as a Para educator then two years later decided to go back to school to become a teacher in special education, and work as a Para while doing so. I would say that my husband has been my biggest influence and supporter. He encouraged me to continue my education and create my own career in the education field. I am excited to learn as much as I can before I student teach this Spring :) It has been a long road, but I am looking forward to gaining my degree and beginning my career as an educator!
Hi, my name is Shauna Hackerott and I currently live in Russell,Kansas. I commute back and forth between Russell and Hays not only for school but for work as well. I currently am employed as a Behavioral Health Counselor at a local psychiatric hospital for children. I have worked with childern who have emotional and behavioral disorders for approximately 16 years. I did take a break from this field for about 3 years to work as a dispatcher for the Kansas Highway Patrol and then a 911 Dispatcher for Reno County. Although I found that being a dispatcher was never a dull moment, I missed working with children. This is when I made the decision to return to school to get my Elementary Education degree. I currently have BA in History with a minor in Criminal Justice from Bethany College, so I would like to also be certified to teach History at the middle and high school levels. This is my last year in school before I begin my student teaching in the fall of next year.
ReplyDeleteI come from a long line of teachers, which have all influenced me one way or another to go into education. My maternal grandparents were both teachers in the Wichita school district, along with my Aunt and Uncle who taught at North High School until the retired. My mom taught Business Education in the Russell School District throughout her career. On my Dad's side of the family I have two Aunts and a cousin who are districts in the surrounding school districts. It seemed natural for me to go into teaching once I decided I needed a career change, but still wanted to work with children in a different capacity. There is no specific reason I chose to go into Elementary Education, other than I enjoy working with younger children. I love the way they soak up knowledge and are always willing to learn new things.
In my personal life I am single and do not have any children. I consider my nieces and nephews to be my children. I am lucky to have all of them within an hour or two from where I live so I can go see them whenever I want. As far as hobbies, I like listening to music, going to movies, and hanging out with family and friends. I also love to travel. This past summer I traveled a lot. I went to Seattle, WA where I was able to see one of my nieces graduate from High School and then move her and her family back to Kansas. We traveled through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas. I then had the opportunity to live in Indiana this summer and work with a good friend of mine in landscaping/lawn maintance. Since I lived in northern Indiana, I had the opportunity to go visit Chicago a couple of times and spend some time at Lake Michigan. Even though I worked hard this summmer, I also played hard. It was a good summer, but now I am ready to get back to school and continue on with my degree.
My name is Ellie Albert and I am a senior at FHSU. I am from Smith Center Kansas and I plan to return there to teach when I am done with school. I have a twin sister, Gretchen, who is a cosmetologist in Manhattan and a younger sister, Kaitlin, who is a junior in high school. I love my hometown and I can't wait to be back there teaching and making a difference in the lives of children. I love to read and hang out with my friends. I have a dog named Aggie back home and a dog named Zoey. My birthday is November 8th and I will be 21! My mom passed away when I was 13 and I saw how much she made a difference in the lives of children and that is why I want to be a teacher. I have always wanted to teach and that just capitalized on my dreams. If I can touch half as many lives as she did my goal will be met. I've had great teachers throughout my education career and I hope to become one of those great teachers to other children.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Samantha Sexton. My husband and I have been married for four and a half years and we have a active three year old boy. We live in Wichita, Ks. This is my last academic year and next fall I will be student teaching. It has been a long road and I am excited to see the end near. I work in a high school as a para in a special education classroom. I love my job and it is the reason that I know that special education is where I am meant to be.
ReplyDeleteI am active in my church, working with the AWANA program, I am the director of the K-2nd grade, also I interpret the Sunday morning service. If I have any free time I love to read. I tend to pick an author and read everything by them. Right now I am reading Jodi Picoult and am loving it.
I have wanted to teach forever, mainly because my dad was an amazing teacher. As I have grown older I have made that dream my own and realize it is my passion. Along the way I have met many great teachers who have encouraged me to continue and help me to narrow my focus.
Was your dad ever your teacher? My mom was a teacher before she became a PA and she would sometimes sub in my class. I always thought that was fun! I'm curious what it would be like for someone to have their parent for a year as opposed to a few days.
DeleteHi everyone. My name is Jessica Miescher-Lerner. I live in Lawrence, Kansas with my husband and two sons. I have been employed at Cottonwood, Inc. for over six years. Cottonwood is an organization whose mission is to help individuals with developmental disabilities shape their own future. Until the birth of my youngest child (now a year and a half)I was the coordinator for a retirement day program at Cottonwood. However, once he was born I took a job working two nights a week in a residential group home that is staffed 24 hours a day. This allows me to spend the days at home with my children, focus more on school at night, and (hopefully) still remain employed once my student teaching begins. I plan to be a special education at an elementary school.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult, I have had very little experience with children with special needs. I have spent all of my adult life working with adults with disabilities of one sort or another: first at a mental health center, then at a law firm helping veterans, then at my current place of employment. As a child and teen I spent a lot of time in the resource room because of my dyslexia and have not really been around children with special needs until recently. My older son was assessed a year ago for a speech delay and now attends a preschool called the Language Acquisition Preschool due to an articulation disorder. Through my sons involvement at LAP I have had far more exposure to children with special needs.
I was inspired to get into teaching because of my own experience with special education. I was further inspired working with adults with ID/DD seeing how their educators helped them. I went back to school when I was pregnant with my oldest son and his teachers have only confirmed my desire to work within the field of special education.
My hobbies are skiing (snow and water), playing with my kids, reading and being outside. I love gardening as well.
Hello everyone! My name is Gabrielle Kuhlman. I am a junior at FHSU this year and am really excited about getting farther into the Education program. Once finished with FHSU, I hope to have graduated with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. I am from a small town close to the Kansas/Colorado border called Sharon Springs. I grew up on a farm and feel extremely blessed in doing so. My family is very close. I have a younger brother and also a younger sister that are both in high school! Throughout high school, I played volleyball, basketball, and golf.
ReplyDeleteI cannot really say when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. I have always just kind of knew. I have had numerous positive influences in my life that have encouraged me to become a future educator, but without a doubt, my mother has been the biggest reason. I have watched her my entire life be patient, determined, passionate, and caring towards the children in her classes. Watching her be intrinsically rewarded on a daily basis has really helped me decide that that is what I wanted in my life. I want to make a difference in children's lives. I feel as if becoming a future educator will help me do just that.
I hope all of you have a great semester!
Hello! I'm Ariel Haskin and I'm from Greensburg, KS. I have a very small family and we are all very close! I have an older brother and sister and a twin brother! I love watching football. I enjoy reading, walking, and watching TV in my free time! I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I could remember. I want to make a difference in children's lives. I had a teacher who impacted me even more when I attended Pratt Community College, because she was always willing to help students and made sure they had fun at the same time, which made the students want to learn. I also feel like I can be someone each student can look up to me. I'm so excited for this semester!!!
ReplyDeleteHello everyone! I am Rebecca Gigax, and I am from Hayes Center, NE. It is a tiny town about 3 hours northwest of Hays. I grew up on a farm with my dad, mom, older sister, and twin brother. I loved growing up in the country and in a small town, and I hope to go back somewhere close to my family after I graduate. Speaking of graduation, I am in my final semester of classes! I student teach in the spring and then graduate in May!! I'm so excited to finally be on the last leg of my college career.
ReplyDeleteI love dogs and horses, we have 2 dogs and 4 horses at home. I also love to read, go on walks and I love art. I enjoy playing volleyball and hope to have the opportunity to help coach some day. I also enjoy watching Husker football with friends and family. God, family, and friends are very important to me.
When I decided to become a teacher, I was torn between an elementary teacher and a high school English teacher. My mom is who really inspired me to choose elementary; she is a para at my hometown school and would always come home with the greatest stories and go on and on about how much she loves her job. I want to be like her and know that I am in a life and career that I enjoy so much, it does not even feel like work. I hope that I can touch the life of even one child through my future endeavors. Hope everyone has a great semester!
Hi! I'm Jaimie Carey. I am from Kinsley, Kansas. This is my second year at Fort Hays. I am the oldest of three siblings. My sister is also attending Fort Hays. I enjoy reading, singing, and crocheting in my free time. I chose education because I believe that our youth are our future. I want to impact the future by educating our youth. My mom and my dad are both teachers. I have been able to witness first hand the rewards of being an educator first hand. I can't wait to have my own classroom someday!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Zoë Greenemeyer and I currently live in Salina, Kansas. I am married with two kids. My oldest daughter just started first grade last week and my youngest daughter started preschool. We plan to adopt in the future once our girls are older. As for my childhood, we moved around from Colorado, New Mexico, and then Kansas. It is hard to think of any one place as my home town, but I did enjoy every place I have lived. My hobbies include reading, gardening, hiking, and bike riding. I do all of these during the summer but once school starts my time is limited. I come from a family of educators so I think teaching is in my blood. I also have had a few teachers that have inspired me along the way.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Jeanette and I am excited that I am getting closer to finishing my degree at FHSU. I chose to go into education after I began working as a paraprofessional in a middle school. I felt that I was able to help students in the special education classroom make connections between how to understand the reasons behind the concepts they were learning and actually learning them. I enjoyed watching the student's eyes light up when they would understand a difficult concept. I suppose the teacher I work under encouraged to go back to school.
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is February 24th. My husband and I have been married for 16 years. He sings in a band called Chris Aarons Band. We have three children ages 15, 13, and 11. My oldest daughter just got back from an eight week exchange in Japan. My 13 year old is a cheerleader in middle school and my youngest son is getting ready to start peewee football. I don't really have many hobbies anymore since I am so busy but I do enjoy taking photos. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Kansas shortly after my 18th birthday. I love traveling and most recently we visited Sweden. It was a great experience.
Hi my name is Clara Sowers I have been married to my husband Tim for 32. We have two adult children and three grandchildren. We also have two cats. I graduated from Washburn Rural High School (a long time ago) and from Allen County Community College in 2008 with my associate of arts. I have been a resident of the Topeka KS community all of my life. My birthday is June 11. When I have time I like to read, I try to make the time every day to get some type of exercise in, I always feel better! I have always felt like teaching is where I have been called to serve. When I first went to Kindergarten I knew I wanted to become a teacher! After graduating high school I took a different direction and had my son and then my daughter, and after serving as a Boy Scout & Girl Scout leader for many years I still felt the need to teach. I then went to work in a school as a paraprofessional and headed back to school! And that brings me to where I am now, I’m a senior but due to delays because the real world gets in the way, I hope to finish soon!
ReplyDeleteHello! my name is Kelli Thomason. Although i was born in Hays, Kansas, i grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I lived in Phoenix for 14 years before i moved to Houston, Texas (bad decision). I moved to Hays when i was 24 and started at FHSU at the age of 25. I went to community college in Phoenix, but as luck would have it, FHSU did not accept any of my community college credits. So, at the age of 25 I started as a freshman. I am now a senior (which should give you some indication of my age...) and will do my student teaching in Tacoma, Washington in the spring.
ReplyDeleteI live alone, except for my blind dog Milo. My hobbies right now are limited due to the lack of available time and location. living in Phoenix i loved to hike, and will continue to in Washington (they have mountains!). I enjoy doing any outdoors activities, as well as, running and biking.
I decided to become a teacher because, honestly, i never, ever wanted a desk job. As i got older, i found that i also loved to be around children, had acquired an extremely high patience level, and was fascinated with how children learn and think. It seemed that teaching was a good fit, and as i come to the last semester of the teaching program, i know that it is. Teaching is a very rewarding career, and as a wise person once said "teaching: I'm not in it for the income, I'm in it for the outcome" - unknown.
Hello everyone! My name is Amberly Gfeller and I am a senior at FHSU. I will be student teaching during the Spring semester most likely in the Hays area. I am from Winona Kansas which is a tiny town in Western Kansas that has only about 150 occupants. I have two younger brothers. One is attending FHSU also and is a junior while my youngest brother is a freshman in high school. My dad farms and owns a gas station and my mom is a first and second grade teacher. She is probably the main reason why I chose to be a teacher. I loved helping in her classroom during college breaks and in high school. She is always positive and preparing for her classroom and it inspires me to be excited about being a teacher. If I could choose I would like teach first, second, or third grade. I am excited to student teach and be involved in a real classroom! I am ready to start this semester so I can get more experience in the classroom before I student teach.
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone! I am Brenna Harfert and my birthday is Friday August 24th, fun way to start school I guess, and I am a Senior at FHSU. I have one brother that is in the Air Force and currently is stationed at Travis AFB in Fairfield California; he just recently got back from a tour in Afghanistan. While living here in Hays I have no pets, much to my dismay, but back home I have a plethora of them. I have 3 dogs, 2 horses, roughly 15 goats (depends on kidding season we can have up to 30 or 35 with all of the babies), and cats galore.
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from Peyton High School, in a small town just east of Colorado Springs. I came to Hays in January of 2011 after completing 3 Semesters at CSU-Pueblo. My dad has been an educator for many years, and was one of my teachers in high school (not fun at all), so I always said I would never go into Education… Well here I am!! I started in Pueblo as a Business major and volunteered a few hours one day to tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club. The next semester I was really bored and had nothing to do with my time, so I decided to volunteer daily as a tutor. Before I knew it I was changing my major, and employed with them as the head tutor.
I spent one semester at Pueblo as an Elementary Education major and decided that wasn’t the school for me with that major. I am now minoring in special education as well and I am really considering another minor in speech pathology, still unsure about it though. I was in 4-H for many years then went on to become the El Paso County Fair Queen. With this I was consistently interacting with children and teaching them whether I knew I was or not, it such a humbling experience and a true life changer. It most definitely solidified my ideas of becoming a teacher.
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ReplyDeleteHello! My name is Kelly Garrett, and I just moved to Enid, Oklahoma. I moved from Illinois, but I am originally from Topeka, KS. I am a junior at FHSU. I am currently working towards my second bachelor's degree. I thought that I wanted to be an attorney, but at watching prosecutors become angry and tired after dealing with loads of court cases, I decided that it was in my best interest if I did not waste the time and money by attending law school. Whenever I have some free time, I enjoy attending baseball games and reading books. I am completing the Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott. The books give Potter fans a glimpse into how the Philosopher’s Stone was created.
ReplyDeleteI chose the field of education because I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life after obtaining my first bachelor's degree. My first job out of school was being a loss prevention officer for Kohl's. I thought apprehending shoplifters would be exhilarating. It turns out that a majority of the shoplifters were children. I hated calling the police and watching the child be escorted to jail. I came to realize that I failed to share my coworker's enthusiasm for apprehending children. After jumping from meaningless job to the next, my mother suggested that I should go back to school and obtain a degree in education. I enrolled in a couple of courses and soon discovered that nurturing the academic growth of young children was the job for me. With my mother's suggestion and two mentors' encouragement, I know that I am in the correct profession.
Hello! My name is Kelly Garrett, and I just moved to Enid, Oklahoma. I moved from Illinois, but I am originally from Topeka, KS. I am a junior at FHSU. I am currently working towards my second bachelor's degree. I thought that I wanted to be an attorney, but at watching prosecutors become angry and tired after dealing with loads of court cases, I decided that it was in my best interest if I did not waste the time and money by attending law school. Whenever I have some free time, I enjoy attending baseball games and reading books. I am completing the Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott. The books give Potter fans a glimpse into how the Philosopher’s Stone was created.
ReplyDeleteI chose the field of education because I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life after obtaining my first bachelor's degree. My first job out of school was being a loss prevention officer for Kohl's. I thought apprehending shoplifters would be exhilarating. It turns out that a majority of the shoplifters were children. I hated calling the police and watching the child be escorted to jail. I came to realize that I failed to share my coworker's enthusiasm for apprehending children. After jumping from meaningless job to the next, my mother suggested that I should go back to school and obtain a degree in education. I enrolled in a couple of courses and soon discovered that nurturing the academic growth of young children was the job for me. With my mother's suggestion and two mentors' encouragement, I know that I am in the correct profession.
Hello my name is Tonya Swinford. I am from McPherson, Kansas. I have lived in Kansas most of my life, but I met my husband 17 years ago and he is from Texas. Currently I live in Fort Worth, Texas more like Keller, Texas. I love it and it is only 6 hours from home:) I have been married for 16 years, however in May my husband and I separated. We have 3 children Taylor 15 1/2, Trenton 10, and Tyler 8. They keep me very busy!! I also run a childcare out of my home. Running a childcare made me realize I love children, but I don't want other children in my home forever so here I am enrolled at FHSU. It has been a dream of mine to become a teacher and I am really excited for my future!! Good luck to everyone this semester.
ReplyDeleteHello my name is Tonya Swinford. I am from McPherson,Kansas, however, I met my husband 17 years ago and he is from Texas. I currently live in Keller, Texas which is in Fort Worth. I have been here for a year. I am currently separated from my husband and live here with my 3 kids Taylor 15 1/2, Trenton almost 11, and Tyler almost 9. I stay very busy with them! I also run a childcare out of my home. I have been doing this for 16 years. I love children, but I don't love them in my home everyday so that's why I am pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone!! My name is Stacie Westermann and I live in a small town in NE Kansas. My fiance, daughter and I just bought our first house a year ago last month and we absolutely love it! My daughter is 2 1/2 and just started daycare this past week so it has been quite the week for our little family. I also have a great family that consists of my mother & father, older brother and a younger sister. They both got married this past summer so it has been a hectic year thus far.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a great rural community on our family farm which I absolutely love going back to. I grew up about 25 miles North of where we live now and then when I graduated high school, I moved to Lawrence and attended the University of Kansas for a year. I stayed in Lawrence but switched schools and then ended up switching to FHSU virtual program which I love.
My hobbies include spending time with my family and close friends, being outdoors, fishing, cooking and reading. We have a pet dog named Harley. He is a 1 year old yellow/red Lab and is such a puppy!!
I chose to go into the field of elementary education because I have always loved it. I think I have pretty much always wanted to become a teacher. The only other career I have ever seriously considered was becoming a physical therapist but when I started taking classes towards that field, I knew it wasn't for me. I have been influenced by both past amazing teachers and past horrible teachers. I want to be like the teachers that left lasting impressions on me and learn from the ones I didn't care for at all.
I hope everyone has a great semester!!
Hello my name is Tonya Swinford. I am from McPherson, Kansas. I currently live in Keller, Texas which is near Fort Worth. I have been here for one year. I have been married for 16 years and have three children that are 15 1/2 year daughter, 10 year son, and 8 year daughter. I have been in childcare for the last 16 years but I am excited about the next step in my career.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone!!! I am Stephanie Voss, my last name used to be Potter. I got married over the summer break and I am starting to get used to the new last name. In my courses you will see me as either Stephanie Voss or Stephanie Potter and sometimes it is hyphenated. I will be 27 in October. I live in Hill City, KS, but I am orignally from Norfolk, VA. I moved here in 2006 with my family. In 2010 I graduated from FHSU with my Bachelors in Psychology. I have been a substitute teacher for 4 years now and it is there that I realized I wanted to be a teacher.
ReplyDeleteThis is my second internship and I am also doing my science and social studies internship this semester. I commute to FHSU on Tuesdays and Thursdays for internship and take the methods courses virtually. I look forward to learning with all of you this semester.
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ReplyDeleteHello everyone!! My name is Stacie Westermann and I live in a small town in NE Kansas. My fiance, daughter and I just bought our first house a year ago last month and we absolutely love it! My daughter is 2 1/2 and just started daycare this past week so it has been quite the week for our little family. I also have a great family that consists of my mother & father, older brother and a younger sister. They both got married this past summer so it has been a hectic year thus far.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a great rural community on our family farm which I absolutely love going back to. I grew up about 25 miles North of where we live now and then when I graduated high school, I moved to Lawrence and attended the University of Kansas for a year. I stayed in Lawrence but switched schools and then ended up switching to FHSU virtual program which I love.
My hobbies include spending time with my family and close friends, being outdoors, fishing, cooking and reading. We have a pet dog named Harley. He is a 1 year old yellow/red Lab and is such a puppy!!
I chose to go into the field of elementary education because I have always loved it. I think I have pretty much always wanted to become a teacher. The only other career I have ever seriously considered was becoming a physical therapist but when I started taking classes towards that field, I knew it wasn't for me. I have been influenced by both past amazing teachers and past horrible teachers. I want to be like the teachers that left lasting impressions on me and learn from the ones I didn't care for at all.
Hello classmates, my name is Kirsten Maurer. I am a senior here at Fort Hays. I am 21 years old and my birthday is May 16. I am from Longmont, Colorado. Longmont is a fairly large city. There are approximately 90,000 people in the town. It is 45 minutes North-West of Denver. I grew up there with my parents, Vicki and Tony and my brother, Alex. My mom works as a paralegal at a law firm in a small town called Niwot, and my dad works as a shipping manager at a place called Stratum, which build robots that disable IED's for the military. My brother is 24 years old and lives at our cabin on Lake McConaughy in Nebraska. Growing up, I attended school in the St. Vrain Valley School District. Some of my hobbies include hanging out with friends, jet skiing, being at the lake, swimming, snowboarding, scrap-booking, hiking, cycling, and much more. I am a very outdoorsy person so I love to be outdoors. I have two dogs back home. One dog is an Australian Shepherd who is 14 years old named Sophie, and the other is my brother's dog, Dottie, who is a 4 year old Australian Cattle Dog. Dottie is a dog that we rescued from the humane society a little over a year ago now. She has provide tons of entertainment and fun to us as a family.
ReplyDeleteI chose Elementary Education because of my 5th Grade teacher Mr. Diemert. I had never thought about teaching until being in his class. He told my mom that I would be a great teacher. I gave the idea a lot of thought, and I realized that I love to help people. I love being a mentor to children, so teaching would be an amazing job for me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't become an elementary school teacher.