Sunday, May 29, 2011

Past, Present, FUTURE

Hello Everyone,

My name is Danita Anderson and I currently teach P.E. to kindergarten through sixth graders. I was raised in a household were I was never really expected to go to college, but I was expected to work. I remember stressing at the END of my senior year because I had not applied to a college and had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. My brother, that was in college at the time, helped me apply to UTA and I was accepted literally at the last minute. I fluttered around for a while and eventually chose a bachelor's degree that I could complete the fastest and get out of school. Once out of college and still not sure what I wanted to do as a career, teaching chose me.
I was hired with no teaching certificate (which I got online during my first year of teaching), no experience, and seriously no skills as a teacher. My first year of teaching was as an eighth grade science teacher and was a blast. Unfortunately, I remember telling my family that I had been hired as a teacher and their cumulative response was that I spent all that time in college and now was in a career that I would make very little money.
I guess this led me to the guidance counselor program. I want to help students and parents be prepared for the future. Also, I want to help students understand intrinsic motivation since positive motivation is not always available when you need it most.