Ever since I was a child I always knew that I wanted to be a Teacher. I would always play "school" with my sister and my cousins, and of course, I played the Teacher role.
When I was a teenager I took a babysitting course with the Red Cross and would look after children on the weekends. As grade 12 approached and the teachers were asking us what school we wanted to go to and what we wanted to be, a Teacher was already in my mind.
I wasn't sure if my grades would be good enough to attend University so I decided to goto Seneca College to obtain my Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE) where I graduated with Honours. I felt this decision was a great one because it allowed me to learn about how a child develops as well as the play-based learning philosophy. I was able to gain practical experience with children in child care settings. Within my last semester of ECE I learned that Seneca offered a Child Development Degree program where if I transferred into it I would only have to complete two and a half years to obtain my degree. I immediately applied because I knew that I would continue to work with children and that this schooling would lead me to Teaching. I graduated from Seneca with a Bachelor of Child Development Degree with honours. This learning opportunity further strengthened my desire and knowledge of working with children. It gave me further insight as to how children learn, ideal learning environments, best practice, community partnerships, behaviour guidance strategies and communicating with parents. I was able to gain practical experience with children in child care, Early Intervention, and classroom settings.
From here I attended the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario. I achieved my Bachelor of Education with Highest Distinction. I was able to gain practical experience with children in grade 2/3, grade 6, and Full-Day Kindergarten. I learned so much about teaching, what makes a good teacher, what makes a good learning environment, how to assess students, professional practice, effective communication, building partnerships, and community building through TRIBES. At last, I have achieved my dream of becoming a teacher! My goal now is to obtain full-time employment as an Elementary School Teacher...Stay Tuned :)
