Where are you from, and what brought you to UW–Madison?
We moved in June from Milton, Wisconsin, where I lived for the past 15 years, to Cottage Grove. I am pursuing my bachelor’s degree in the MC-EA (middle childhood/early adolescent) program (in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction), working toward a certification to teach grades 1-8.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
The people in my family who were teachers inspired me to be a teacher, especially my dad and my mother-in-law who were both amazing teachers.
My experiences working with children in a variety of situations, starting with babysitting, then teaching gymnastics, raising my own five children, and working with students in 4-H — especially in music and drama and the Dairy Quiz Bowl — have also inspired me. I love “lightbulb” moments. Working with children brings me joy.
"Being an older, non-traditional returning student, the Teacher Pledge gives me peace of mind, knowing that student debt I will have incurred in the School of Education will be paid off when I teach in Wisconsin for three or four years. I am so grateful to the creators of this program, and the donors who have made it possible."
What do you love about your UW–Madison experience?
I love all the different instructors and professors with whom I get to work. They all are genuinely interested in our success and making us great teachers. I really pay attention to how I am being taught, and am trying to glean all the best practices I see to use when I am in the classroom.
I also love my cohort. Even though I am a full generation older than they are, they have included me as one of them, and I am truly grateful.
I hear you have taken the UW–Madison School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge. How is that making it easier to pursue your goal of becoming a teacher?
Being an older, non-traditional returning student, the Teacher Pledge gives me peace of mind, knowing that student debt I will have incurred in the School of Education will be paid off when I teach in Wisconsin for three or four years. I am so grateful to the creators of this program, and the donors who have made it possible.
What are you most looking forward to this semester?
I am really looking forward to actually meeting my fellow students in my cohort, and then actually going into a classroom for practicum this fall, since both practicum experiences for me (last year) were completely online.
What did you learn from the pandemic? Is there a lesson or experience you had that will stay with you?
The biggest lesson I will take with me from during the pandemic involved watching the teachers I worked with, and the instructors who worked with us. They extended grace. I saw it time and time again: teachers working to give their students the best possible chances to succeed under less-than-ideal circumstances. While I will have high expectations and rigorous academic content in my classroom, I want to carry through that grace and patience I saw and experienced in my classes and practicum classrooms.
What are your future goals?
I am really looking forward to working with students in my own classroom. People ask me, “What grade do you want to teach?” I have such a hard time answering that, as I see something special in students at every stage of their academic, social, and emotional development. I am thankful for the education I am receiving at UW–Madison. I am being prepared to be a successful teacher no matter what grade I end up teaching.