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I am currently an emotional support center-based middle/high school teacher (special ed) for IU13 in Lancaster, PA. This is my second course with Gwynedd Mercy, and I am excited to be continuing my educational journey towards earning a Master's degree in secondary English education. I come from a very tight knit family that includes my dad, mom, brother and sister. Of course I cannot forget my furry siblings: two goldendoodles named Montana and Cayman, and my horse Mosey!

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I graduated in 2017 from Penn State with a degree in kinesiology. I had hopes of becoming a physical therapist right out of high school, but that all changed after my capstone internship at Aaron's Acres in Lancaster, PA. Aaron's Acres is a non-profit recreational camp for children ages 5-21 with special needs. The camp made me realize that I was missing my calling, and I began my career in special education! Since I am only emergency certified, I am required to take 9 credits a year until I obtain my certification/degree. Now that I am teaching, I do not see myself in any other field.

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Volleyball, Beach, Coffee, Friends & Family, Sports, Travel

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Volleyball, Beach, Coffee, Friends & Family, Sports, Travel

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If you would ask one of my students to tell you one fact about me I guarantee that they would say "Ms. B cannot survive the day without coffee," and they would be right! I am a coffee junkie, not only for the caffeine but for the delicious flavor :) On any given weekend, you can find me at a local coffee shop with friends or getting work done! I spend most of my evenings coaching high school JV boys volleyball, which keeps me sane from the daily chaos in my classroom. The beach is my happy place, and I try and get there whenever I can (even in the winter)! Spending time and laughing with my family and friends is one of my favorite things. I am a firm believer that laughter is the best medicine! I am a huge sports fan. I have season tickets to Penn State football, and love watching my Steelers football and Duke basketball! One of my favorite sports memories is going to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 2017! I absolutely love traveling and have been lucky enough to go all over the world! The Cayman Islands are a favorite, but I love being in Europe and learning the rich history and traditions of other cultures.

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What a loaded question! I absolutely LOVE teaching and I truly cannot picture myself doing anything else.  In my current classroom, teaching means sharing important academic and general life skills. Most of my students come from a very urban population and do not have strong family support systems. I feel as their teacher, that it is my duty to teach them the core subjects, but also how to be good people. I want to teach them and help them understand that the world is not always a bad place, and that they can make something of themselves. Being an educator is all about sharing skills to help each and every student become a better and stronger person in more than just an academic atmosphere.

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Continuing education and gaining more knowledge and practical skills for the classroom

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Continuing education and gaining more knowledge and practical skills for the classroom

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Since I do not have a degree in education, I have gained all of my professional knowledge from hands on experience in the classroom. I worked as a para-educator/substitute prior to accepting as position as a teacher, so I was able to learn a lot from working in a school setting. Taking EDU 502 with Gwynedd Mercy also helped to shape me as an educator and learn some new techniques to incorporate into my teaching style. I also am excited to discover new hands-on ways of teaching and learning new ideas from colleagues based on their experiences. Teaching is a team sport! I think that it is also really important to build relationships with coworkers in order to help support each other in the classroom. I am constantly learning from my mentor and some of the other staff members in the building, pictured below is my awesome group of colleagues from last year. My goal in continuing my education is to learn as much about the foundations of education but also to continue learning how to adapt mainstream education techniques and blend them into a special education setting. After completing my Master's I am going to further my education by getting a certificate in secondary special education.