Who was your favorite childhood teacher and how did they influence you?
Mrs. Hall, 4th grade at West Terrace. I actually teach with her now! She was fun and energetic, but she ran the class very well. You knew how far you could go. You knew your boundries with her. I teach with almost all the teachers who taught me at West Terrace. When I had to put my classroom together, they were all there helping me hang posters on the wall, run copies, and laminate things. I loved school. I loved being there.

Why did you choose USI?
I started out as a biology major. When I sat in my first class, I though “I can’t do this for four years!” I knew the Teacher Education program had a reputation. I worked at Methodist Temple daycare and was used to kids so it seemed a natural fit.

What was your favorite college class?
Children’s Literature. We read lots of really different books. This class teaches you a different way to look at things and teaching literature using activities related to that book. My favorite book in that class was “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. I went on to read all of her books. Another favorite was “Love That Dog” by Sharon Creech.

What was your first job as a teacher?
My first job after college was as a professional development substitute at Cedar Hall Elementary School. You bounce around where ever you are needed. I loved it. I got to know every child by name It is a different kind of school and you build a different kind of connection with the kids. Some of the kids at that school need a stable contact in their lives. The teachers are their stability. I went to see the kids at sporting events, I saw their musical performances. It meant a lot to them to have their teachers there.

What is the funniest thing that happened to you as a teacher?
Teaching kindergarten, there is something funny everyday. They say about anything without thinking what they are saying. Right now they are into tattling. They tell on each other all the time for the silliest thing. Some times you just don’t know what to say because of the ridiculous thing they are tattling on. The other day, a student tattled to me “Miss Elmi, that girl sniffed me.”

What inspires you as a teacher?
The end result. In kindergarten you may get a child that can’t cut with sissors or even recognize any letters of the alphabet. During that first year, they are learning so much, you get to see the light bulb come on in their heads when every thing comes together. And by the end of the year, they are reading and writing sentences. It really is amazing.

What is your dream job?
I want to eventually do educational research. Ofcourse, that will require getting a masters and a doctorate. What interests me is learning styles, the environmental factors that make learning for effective. For example, the trend in middle school, is to explore having same sex classrooms. Research shows that students learn better when they are in classes with their own sex.

What advice can you give a student majoring in education?
It seems like forever before you are able to get out there and start teaching. There is a lot of anticipation and impatience to get out there. Everything that you are doing, all those years leading up to observing and student teaching are all essential and necessary. Just take the time to absorb everything the professors teach you and learn.