Afett001

Anakristen Brittany Fetters

About Me

Welcome! My name is Anakristen Brittany Fetters and I am 22 years old. I currently reside in Winchester, VA and am fairly new to the area. I have lived in northern VA for thirteen years, however I just moved to Winchester in April. I live with my sister and brother-in-law. We have six dogs and one cat, so there is never a dull moment in our house! I am still learning my way around, but am enjoying the area so far!

After graduating High School, I started a career in banking and worked at a local community bank for three years. I started as a teller and advanced to Branch Manager. Although this was a great opportunity, it was not my dream and I recently left to attend school full time. I realized halfway through my banking career that children are my inspiration and to teaching is my goal. My dream is to become an elementary school teacher, and although teaching any grade would be great, my ideal grade(s)would be third, fourth, or fifth. I have about two years of school left and I am greatly looking forward to obtaining my teaching certificate.

I enjoy working with children and teach Sunday School for fourth and fifth graders at my church. Some other activities I enjoy are reading, singing, working out at the gym, hiking and any outdoor activity.

My sister Rebecca, my brother DJ and I

My cousin Tessa and I

Me and my miniature daschund, Molly

My Education Philosphy

There are many positive qualities that make a great teacher. All great teachers exhiibit kindness, patience, and inner strength. They have the motivation and determination to make the world a better place for each and every one of their students. Most importantly, all great teachers know and understand their influential role in the lives of their students.

Great teachers know how to handle diversity in the classroom. Students with special needs should be given the attention they deserve, which could require special attention outside of the classroom. Boys and girls should not be taught differently and should be given equal opportunities. Students should not be grouped by ability, but should be grouped diversely so that each student can build off of another's strength. I believe that English should be the only language taught in the classroom, however, teachers should be sensitive to the needs of their bilingual students. Depending on the situation, "at-risk" students may require more attention in the classroom than the average student.

Good instructional strategies are key in the classroom of a great teacher. Great teachers use a variety of instructional strategies that include both lecture and group assignments. Lessons that begin with a lecture and then move to a group activitiy can greatly assist in the reinforcement of the subject matter. All students, excluding those with special needs, should have the same requirements and be treated equally.

A positive classroom environment is critical for both the teacher and the students. I picture my future classroom to be a place where student interaction and student-teacher interaction is embraced. I believe parental involvement is also very important in the lives of the students so that parents know the objectives and requirements of their children. Great teachers will collaborate with other teachers for lessons plans and ideas, and it is always a main focus of the teacher to engage the student and capture their attention in every lesson. An effective classroom management technique is to assign both single and group activities, and to constantly walk around the classroom to monitor behavior and the levels of student contribution.

These are my ideas as to what makes a great teacher and education philosophy, and I look forward to adding to and elaborating on these ideas throughout this course!Afett001 (talk) 14:34, 4 December 2009 (UTC) HelloAfett001 (talk) 15:08, 4 December 2009 (UTC)