BlogPost1

Hi my name is Danielle Brinkmann and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am interested in becoming a third grade teacher and possibly taking extra classes to also receive a degree for fourth through sixth grade. If I took those extra classes to extend my degree, I would like to look into becoming a fourth grade math teacher. I am a dancer and have been on the dance team since my freshman year of high school. I also was a part of the women's chorus and show choir at my high school. A few aspects that I could bring into the classroom is my bubbly personality and my love for helping others. Something that is significant to me is to live in the moment. Taking things for granted and not appreciating things in life can make you lose a sense of all of the wonderful things that have been placed before you. Life hands us so many opportunities that people take for granted and it is our job to learn to appreciate them and all that life has to offer. Mitch Albom is one of my favorite authors and in his book Tuesday's With Morrie he states, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. They way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." Albom sums this up perfectly because I believe that the true meaning in life is being happy and helping others.

For me to feel comfortable in order to take intellectual and creative risks inside the classroom I would first want to be comfortable with my classmates. I would like to get to know them better in order for me to become comfortable with them in the classroom. I feel that once I am comfortable with my peers, then I will be able to step out of my comfort zone to begin to take educational risks. I have been lucky enough to have many great memories throughout my years as a student. My teachers have all been kind and caring towards all of their students. In high school, there were two teachers who helped to shape me into the person that I am today because of the faith that they had in me. First, was my sophomore Scripture teacher. Her class was challenging and I was struggling. Instead of letting me continue to struggle, she helped me prepare for her test and gave me helpful test taking skills in order for me to succeed in her class. Second, was my junior English teacher. I was struggling with memorization and understanding the concepts of the readings that were learning. I began to meet with her in order to figure out the best way for me to study in that class. What these two teachers have in common, was their belief in me. When I thought that I couldn't do it and that I wasn't smart enough to be in their class, they helped me figure out what works best for me and showed me that I could do it. They didn't give up on me and they encouraged me to do my best. Some issues that I have facing the field of education is me not being prepared enough in order to help out the students. Teachers play such an important role in children's lives that I am scared that I won't make a positive impact in their lives as a student.

If you weren't a college professor, what grade level and subject would you teach?