Bachelor in English with Certification in Secondary Education - Saint Joseph College - (Winner)
Editors Note: This teaching student story essay was selected as the winner in BrainTrack's Teaching Schools Scholarship for Spring 2010. At the time of submittal, Bridget Horan was studying for a Bachelor in English Certification in Secondary Education at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, CT.
Wishes Had Known | Program Likes/Dislikes | Choosing Teaching
What do you wish you had known about selecting and entering your teaching school that would be helpful to others going into teaching?
My advice to anybody interested in becoming a teacher is to work as much as you can with different groups of students. I realized this after working with Hartford Americorps. You need to get out of your comfort zone and take risks in order to figure out what works for you and what does not. It is great to find a method or technique that works well consistently; the security of your education classes and feedback from professors and peers make college a perfect time for this. Merge your personality with educational concepts and it will help you later in your schooling and career.
While it is important to work with your textbook for the classes you are taking, try ways to make the lessons and activities original and align them with your personal teaching philosophy. Keep updating this philosophy as you continue in your program and try new activities, approaches, and topics. If you experiment during your teacher training program, you will not only expand your professional repertoire but the students you work with will appreciate your willingness to expose them to different approaches.
It is also a good idea to question what you come across in your classes and out in the field. Raising questions and debating policies that concern you with your classmates and professor will also help you develop your personal philosophy. Developing your opinion and ways to address your concerns are important skills when you begin working in the schools.
What have you enjoyed most and least during your teaching degree program so far?
The reason I chose Saint Joseph College for my teacher preparation is because of its reputation throughout the state. Some of my family members in the education system recommended it because of its comprehensive curriculum, small classes, and its strong emphasis on fieldwork and practical classroom instruction. As I approach my final years at SJC and prepare to enter the field, I realize this school has gone far beyond what I expected to prepare me for my future career.
I admire that the teacher preparation program at SJC has allowed me to have as many options as possible when I graduate. I feel confident to work in a variety of classrooms and with diverse students because each class I took required a different type of field study. When I graduate, I know that I will be well prepared to teach middle or high school in urban, suburban or rural settings as well as traditional public schools or alternative academies. I also know what to expect when working with exceptional students, English Language Learners, and different learning styles. I am excited to use what I learn in one type of setting to better understand other situations I may find myself in. These options have benefited me on both personal and professional levels.
Although I would have enjoyed opportunities for faculty in the Education and English Departments to collaborate more often regarding course content, I realize that this is not always possible due to scheduling conflicts. I suggest that the College still consider opportunities for the faculty in these two departments to team-teach specific courses. For example, in addition to the Adolescent Literature and Teaching in the Content Area courses, which are excellent, another course could be added for the English secondary certification students. This course could focus on the literature commonly taught in junior high and high school language arts English classes and strategies for engaging students at those grade levels in literature. Overall, I appreciate the fact that I had amazing and knowledgeable advisors for both specialties helped me find answers to the questions I had.
What led you to choose teaching as a career path?
I believe that I have always had a hidden inclination to teach. I remember playing school with friends on play days and recall teachers asking me to help peers with schoolwork. I simply enjoy helping others. Not only do I enjoy helping others, but I also strive to help them help themselves. However, there lacked a connection between this willingness to help others and what career I would end up with. The qualities that now make teaching a natural choice for me were not always this obvious. When it became time for me to seriously consider the timeless question of “what do I want to do with the rest of my life?” I was a high-school senior and teaching would not have been one of my first responses.
The process of finding my passion for teaching was relatively unplanned. Entering college, I had very little experience working with adolescents (they were so close in age to myself!). I went into college undeclared and by my second semester I thought I would give education a fair shot. A few introductory classes peaked my interest but I was still unsure if teaching was right for me. This eventually led to my decision to take my spring semester off. At the time, my friends and family felt I was making a mistake. True, I had not thought everything out, and did not consider things like paying for insurance or graduating a year behind all of my friends. However, the positive outcomes of this decision have far outweighed any disadvantages that I experienced. I find that my most spontaneous decisions have the biggest impact on me. I can now say that I am a proud graduate of the Hartford Americorps program, an experience so profound, it drives the professional choices I make.
The program placed me at a non-profit organization where I tutored Hartford youth ages fourteen to twenty-two. I was given a unique opportunity to work with young people facing difficult situations and help them succeed. I helped high school dropouts earn their diplomas, taught English to adolescent refugees from war-torn countries, and helped creative middle school students rewrite and perform their updated version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Most importantly, I learned that I naturally gravitated towards working with young people. I had the confirmation I needed to focus on returning to school and working towards becoming a teacher.
My experiences with Hartford Americorps made it clear to me that a career teaching English was the best way to continue to help young people feel confident in their literacy skills. I was able to walk into my classes the next fall with an established sense of my future, confidence in my practical experience, and most importantly a renewed eagerness to soak up everything that is education.