Scarlett1
About Me
My name is Debbie Nielson, but my user name is Scarlett1 so there is no confusion. I am currently living in Bremerton, WA and I am going through the teacher prep program K-6, through Old Dominion University. I am a dual major with psychology as my second major. My husband has been in the Navy for over 15 years and we have been all over the world. We bought our first house 2 1/2 years ago and love it. We have a 16 year old daughter and a 6 3/4 year old daughter (her words adamantly). We have two dogs, a female red-nosed pit/chocolate lab mix, and a male Bichon Frise. We also have a dwarf bunny named Pixie. Currently, I am working as the store manager for a pizza chain managing about ten or more employees and working about 60-70 hours a week. As for hobbies, sleep is a good one. I enjoy people, places, and things that make me laugh. I think laughter is the key to longevity and good health.
My Inspiration
I want to be a teacher simply because I enjoy watching children learn and want to be a part of their learning process. Children amaze me in what they say and how they interact with one another. My youngest daughter, for instance has changed her name a couple of times, with the latest being Chocolate. My parents were educators most of their lives. My mom taught kindergarten, fifth grade and eighth grade learning disability classes for over 30 years before retiring. My dad was an elementary school principal until he retired after 30 years...however, he has gone back and is still currently working as a principal for a charter school. My dad told me the other day that "teaching is the greatest gift you can give to the world and you will never regret a moment".
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My philosophy of education
All children can learn when they are given the right tools.
My philosophy on learning
There are different ways in which, children learn. I think it is beneficial to figure out the student's learning style. I would like to have a classroom that is not based solely on lectures. I believe being active in one's learning process is more interesting and favors better retention in the end. I would like to see my students become involved in all aspects of the classroom from group assignments to individual assignments. I think doing self-reviews and peer-reviews are important for students to see the overall picture of the assignment. I am an "out-of-the-box" thinker. I taught a reading class about Egypt and the pyramids. Along with lecturing, I brought in sand, paint and other objects for the students (these were high school students)to make their own pyramids. I also had them write a letter in hieroglyphics. Finally, as a treat, we watched Stephen Sommners "The Mummy".
My philosophy on curriculum
Curriculum is an important issue to me. I believe that there should be a required curriculum for all schools, however, I do not think that creativity should be banned and the curriculum strict. Without creativity, in my opinion, students will become bored and learning is lost. If the subjects are taught in a mundane way without any variation to make them interesting, the time summer rolls around will usually, forget them. Some schools today focus more on science, math, and English than PE, art and music. Having a well-rounded selection of programs not only makes the school popular, but I believe students receive a better education. I have heard many times, that schools need to focus on the "important" subjects so that they can compete with Japan or China in terms of test scores. It is my belief that students will be more motivated and less stressful if they have classes that focus on their creativity and abilities, as well as academics.
My philosophy on technology
Technology in the classroom is imperative because it is a way for students to visit outside of the classroom. There are so many different kinds of technology available to schools that it would be a shame not to utilize them. Teaching students how to work with different kinds of technology will help them to become marketable in the future. It has been my observation, that children pick up the knowledge of how to use technology at a young age sometimes faster than adults do. As a result, this will benefit them greatly after they graduate and move into the workforce.
My ideal classroom
I picture a classroom where the desks are all in a circle so that everyone is facing each other... I picture a classroom where the students get to take turns giving the lesson and interacting with one another... I picture a classroom where pneumonic's are used as a way to remember things... I picture a classroom where there will be drama, music, and physical activities to go along with the lesson plan topics... I picture a classroom where each child will have a "buddy" to work on special projects with... I picture a classroom where students will not only learn a subject, but why it is important to learn the subject...
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