Hi!
My name is Meghan Hetherington and I am a first year Concordia Education student (section B). I grew up in south-west Edmonton with my parents and younger brother. I graduated from Harry Ainlay High School in 2001, and took a year off working as a nanny for a family of three. I ended up staying with this family on a part-time basis during the school year until the fall of 2007. After that year as a full time nanny was completed, I decided I wanted to go back to school but was at a bit of a loss as to what to do (as there were many options). I was still not comfortable making a decision, so I decided to go to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to earn my business diploma. This seemed like a good idea for me as it was a short program, and even if I did not go into business, I would leave learning some valuable things (ex. public speaking, accounting). It became clear that business was not very 'Meghan" in my second year when we had to focus on an area of business. Although this did not work out for me, I gained many valuable experiences and friends. After I graduated with a diploma in small business management in 2004, I went backpacking in Australia and New Zealand for 6 months. I had done two other backpacking trips before, but this trip brought a lot of things about me and the world to my attention. I decided then and there that I wanted to pursue a childhood desire of mine and that was to be a teacher. After speaking to various people who knew the education field, I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia and then apply to their Education program.
I have had the opportunity to work with children in Edmonton through nanny/babysitting, coaching soccer for 5 years, and as a child-support volunteer at a battered women and children's shelter. I know the experiences I have had with these children will make me a better person and teacher.
I believe teaching is an opportunity to have an impact on the future, and that this position must be taken seriously. I believe an exceptional teacher:
- loves children and what they have to offer the world
- provides a colorful and welcoming environment that safe and conducive to learning
- is a person who outside of the classroom exhibits the behaviour and morals encouraged in the classroom
- is able to capture and keep their students' attention, thus fostering the desire and motivation to learn
- is an ambassador to the profession and school in which they are employed
When I get the opportunity to get out into the field experience component of this program, I hope to be paired up with a teacher who values education and his/her students, and is open and willing to share them with me. I hope to learn new strategies on learning and classroom management. Although I am a little nervous about getting out into the field experience, I am also excited.
Welcome to my Education 501 Blog and stay tuned for more....
