AMANDA S.

MAYE
506.855.5111 41 Summerhill Drive Moncton, NB E1C 9C6 amay165@crandalluniversity.ca

BIO RESUME
Currently in the Education Program at Crandall University, Has a Double Major in English and Psychology, Avid Dancer and Performer The road to a successful career is not laid out for you on an easy path like Dorothy and her yellow-brick road. It takes time, dedication and determination to become the person you want to be, doing the right and perfect profession for you. After some thought and experience with children, the choice of becoming an elementary school teacher was not a difficult one for me to make. Making a difference in a childs life is an essential element for me to pursue. Helping a child grow physically, emotionally and mentally through nurturing is a goal that I have firmly set; becoming a teacher will help my goals and dreams come true. To be a successful teacher, an essential quality to acquire is being both positive and energetic. When working with children, I have noticed that they will respect you as an authority figure more when you give them positive feedback and even keep up your energy. From experience, I have noticed that if you are excited and energetic about a subject or game, they will be as well. This contributes to continuously working hard and I am an individual who always puts one hundred and ten percent into my work and tasks ensuring that my campers or students are enjoying themselves and grasping the concepts that I have asked. It can be as simple as explaining rules to a classroom game or explaining how to make flubber. What I have noticed through working at the YMCA summer camp is that teaching is not solely about the production but also about the preparation. I have several years of experience with planning a summer camp, and it allows me to grasp the concept of a lesson plan a lot quicker. I am also a very relatable individual and am able to form relationships rather quickly because of my open-mind and outgoing personality. Just entering the education program in January, I have grasped onto the many different concepts quickly and am not afraid to ask questions if I am unsure of a topic or element. Being a teacher is a rewarding profession unlike any other. It is a must for a teacher to be encouraging with their students and creating an environment where bullying or negative feedback is not tolerated. Within my years at the YMCA Summer Camp, I had made it a rule that everyone was to be thoughtful, caring and nice to their fellow campers. I, as well as the other counselors, made it clear that bullying was not tolerated. As counselors we made ourselves aware that giving constant positive feedback is necessary, as well as keeping our campers entertained and wanting to learn more about the games and activities that we had planned. This is extremely similar as to what teachers have to incorporate into their lessons. Allowing the students to feel good about their work and answers provide them the yearning to accomplish more. Part of the job of being a teacher is to access a students prior knowledge and relate the material they are teaching to real world experiences the students may have previously encountered. Most importantly, it is the passion that a teacher possesses to see their students succeed.

Choosing to become a teacher was not a difficult decision for me to make. I have previously worked with children in a summer camp, and also had a summer babysitting job for three consecutive summers. The experiences that I had as a counselor were the most gratifying. I had the privilege of having the same camper in my group every summer I worked. The first time I met him, he was extremely afraid of water to the point he would take tantrums. I explained to him how the water was not all that scary and I would help him get over his fear. By the end of the first summer, my little camper was putting his face under the water. This past summer, the same camper came and tugged on my shirt, asking me if he could do a test to go in the bigpool. He succeeded and is now taking swimming lessons every Sunday. His parents personally thanked me and at the end of the summer, we all gave each other hugs and cried because it was all of our last summers at the camp. Its not only important to build strong relationships with the students but with the parents and guardians as well. To be a nurturing, trustworthy and a good role model to students allows you to be looked at in the same manner from their guardians. Another major reason why I would love to be a teacher is not only to be a childs favourite teacher, but also to be able to impact one childs life in a positive way. I remember having some teachers who made my education a negative experience; I do not want to give the same experiences to my students. In the future I am looking to teach in the elementary grades (three or four). I also do not want my education to end with this program at Crandall. I am hoping to retake my French as a second language, finish both my minors in Music and Fine Arts, and finally get my Masters. As a future teacher, I cannot wait to be able to bring my fun loving spirit into the classroom, along with proper construction and positivity. I do realize the amount of dedication and hard work this career expects, including the many technological advances that are taking place in the classroom. With my great problem solving skills and energetic personality, there is no doubt in my mind that I will become the great teacher that I aspire to be. This path my not be as simple as the yellow-brick road, but I cannot wait to hop on and enjoy the ride.