Sprid001

My name is Shannon Pridgen, but I go by my middle name, Taylor. I am a sophmore at Old Dominion University, majoring in Elementary Education (PreK-3). My dream is to teach first grade. If you can not tell,pink is my absolute favorite color. One Tree Hill, the new 90210, and Desperate Housewives are my addictions. I have been dating my highschool sweetheart for the past five years. I started dancing when I was three years old, but I stopped when I started college. My parents do everything for me and I appreciate them more than they know. I have an older sister who attends James Madison and a younger brother who will be at James Madison in Fall 2009. College basketball is my favorite sport to watch and I don't miss a game of our own monarch teams!! I am really excited to be in this class this semester because I am ready to begin my education courses. Although I don't want to graduate, I can't wait to have my own classroom full of little ones eager to learn.

I have always had one philosophy on education and that is that any child has the opportunity to learn. Young children are the future of today's world. Therefore, it is up to the teachers and parents to teach them all that there is to know. I believe that as long as the child has positive support, the student will be willing to learn. When I have my own classroom, I want all of my students to feel like they are wanted and cared for. I plan on giving them all of the attention that they need to succeed. I like to give children choices so that they know that their opinion does matter. Many children are very hard on themselves when they make a mistake. With that said, it is very important to remain positive no matter what the situation is. When I finally have my own class, I know that all of my students will succeed because I will not let them fail. The biggest role that a teacher has is to support the students and let them know that they are always there to help them get one step further in life.