Hi. I’m Melissa. I recently finished my masters degree at Vanderbilt University in the Peabody College of Education. I studied digital literacies which basically means thinking about new ways students can engage with different kinds of texts in and out of school. I am interested in how I can help middle schools students become active readers. I want to share my love of reading and learning with kids.
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| Some of my favorites now and as a kid. |
The two biggest influences on my life and decision to be a teacher have been dancing and working as a camp counselor. I danced for 19 years and had the opportunity to travel across America for classes and competitions. Dancing helped me develop self-discipline, and seeing how much I could improve by working hard helped me become confident in myself. One of my goals as a teacher is to help my students find something in which they can excel and be proud of themselves.
As a college and graduate student, I worked at Camp Aldersgate, a camp for kids with special needs, for four summers. Camp changed my life as it does those of most of the people who have come through the gates. As a camp counselor, I learned that I have potential to make a big difference in kids’ lives, and that they can make just as big an impact on me. At camp, the counselors help kids feel like they belong and that they are important. These are the same things I want to accomplish for the rest of my life as a teacher.
