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Purpose. Destiny. The path that you were born to lead. I always walked with a candle of curiousity, waiting to embrace the unknown.  I am not a stranger to obstacles or challenges that creep up on you like the human cold. For a long time I sneezed, I had no tissue, I had no cure, I had only had courage and the will to survive. I knew in 2nd grade that  I wanted to be a teacher, writer and artist. I loved children and felt balanced and content when I was in their company. I can remember sitting the guidance counselor's office, I just finished telling her that I wanted to attend college to be a writer and teacher; She looked at me and said with your Math Score
(  which was an 85 and the rest of my grades were all A's) you will never get accepted into college. go join the Peace Corps.  I wish I could see her now and say, " Remember me the, the girl who you told that she would never get accepted into college, I have a B.A. in Communications, a M.A. in Education and now studying to get another M.A. Although this was a negative experience,  I turned it, into a positive one and became determined to achieve my dream of becoming a teacher, and I did.

My name is Nicole Jamieson and I am a kindergarten teacher at Park Lane Elementary School, which is part of the William Penn School District, in Darby , Pa 5 minutes from Philadelphia, PA.  I am going into my 4th year and will make tenor in October.

Before this job I substituted in the William Penn School District, grades K through 6th. I taught in the Delaware County Intermediate Unit/Head Start for 5 years with special needs,abused and social emotional children, etc., then I taught 3rd grade for three weeks as part of a service learning class in college, on an Native American Reservation in New Mexico and prior to that assignment, I taught preschool for a long time. I am married to a wonderful Marine who is a veteran, he works at a Waste Water Plant in West Chester, Pa., I have two amazing stepdaughters one lives with us she is 13 and a 1/2 and the oldest one is 20 and she is studying to be a nurse. i have a precious niece named Scarlett who is 1 and a 1/2.  I have two more kids, my furry boys, a German Shepherd named Trooper and Charlie our rescue dog who is a Cavliar / Bishon mix, and I cannot forget my Cat Calley, who is also a rescue.
When I am not teaching, I love to write, draw, spend time with family and travel. Life is too short and I want to live each moment as if it was my last. I listed earlier in my introduction where I worked at.

As far as experiences goes, personal and professional there has been a lot. I can remember when I worked at Head Start we had classes of 30, little help and it was an inclusion classroom, I had 20 kids with IEP's and I had to differeniate my lesson plans to meet each of their needs and that was challenging. I would make home visits with this job and it was heartbreaking. Some children had no food or electricity and at least one of their parents were dead from a drug over dose or in jail. I had a student that was watching porn, a  4 year old boy who would make disrespectful remarks, I had a student that would eat and bathe in his bowel movements and then I had parents who forgot to pick up their kids because they were intoxicated or worse, shooting up. I wish I could have adopted those children, it was very difficult not take that luggage home with me. I have parents spit in face and even key my car, because I was helping their child to read or use their words.

I always kept calm and professional for my students, even though inside I was screaming in agony.  Now in the school district, I still have them same challenges. I teach in low poverty neighborhood with gangs and 🤬. I see the same cycle and nothing surprises me anymore. I continue to offer love and support to those who want it. I love the school district I teach here because these kids need love and I have a lot of love to give. I always maintain a positive relationship with parents, communication is the key.

What are my goals?  In my district we have a high level of students that suffer from trauma, even though I have experience with that, I want to learn more so I can help my students and my co-workers. I would love to construct a curriculum for how to teach students with trauma. This is very close to my heart and sadly due to lack of funding, my district does not have enough supports put in place. My area of specific interest in working with students with trauma and learn new strategies to support them in my classroom.
I love my job, It took me 7 years to pass my Math Praxis for Pa, it was just a point, but I continued on in this battle and claimed victory, finally!

My own step daughter has ADHD and I helped my husband rewrite her IEP when her last school refused to make accomodations. I know what it is like to advocate and help a child face her challenges and give her the tools to dig and set up her own campsite by herself.

I know what it is like to work for something so hard and get so close to it, for it to fly away. I started over many times. I always wanted to have a baby and teach my baby all the things that I know, however God's plan took a different course, I was infertile and lost my baby during an IVF procedure, they call it a miscarriage in a dish. That nearly killed me, because during that time my sister was pregnant and had a baby girl, who I love and adore. I had went to therapy and was put on progesterone because my estrogen was too high, making me at risk for ovarian cancer. I know pain and struggle but have made peace with the fact that I am not be able to have any children of my own, but I do have my stepdaughters, my niece and my students!

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This was years ago, look how cute!

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Trooper and Charlie( we rescued him from a puppy mill).

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I love to travel with my husband and family. I love Gettysburg the most and I love history. I want to go to Salem, Massachusetts! I love Williamsburg, the outer banks and Europe. My father was born in Sicily and I got to go with him before he passed away with cancer. It was a remarkable journey. Miss and Love You Dad!

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Here are my wonderful in-laws. My mother-in law or mom as I call her helped me through my failed IVF and recent breast surgery. My father in law or Dad was the best, he died a tw years ago from complications from a car accident. Miss and Love You Dad!

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Here we are my sister April in the red, Meghan my step daughter, my brother- in- law James next to me and Ed my husband is on the end. We have been married for 10 beautiful years!

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This is picture of my Marine Ed, me, Uncle George and Aunt Gloria. They have since passed, God Rest Their Souls.