One
of the difficult aspects of an online class is trying to get to know
each other. As such, I would like for you to provide a short description
about yourself. Describe what you do when you are not teaching,
including any hobbies you might have. Also, let me know what you teach
and what you hope to get out of this class.
My name is Kristy Estes. I have a beautiful family with 4 children. My husband Eric and I have been married for 16 years. Our kids are Tanner age 15, Garrison age 12, Pierson age 11 and the caboose is Krislin age 8! All of my kids including myself play sports so we are very busy, to say the least! I last taught in 1991 before deciding to take time off to raise my growing family. In November 2007 my youngest son at age 4 was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. This would forever change our family dynamics! I had to move to Birmingham for a little over a year to be with him and decided at that point that I would not go back to teaching until he was 5 years in remission! So the good news is here I am taking this course to reinstate my teaching certificate!! He is our little blessing and he is so excited that I have chosen to teach again. I can't wait to get started!
ReplyDeleteKristy - it is great having you in class. I know it is difficult balancing school, family, and work. I am glad that you are taking this course to renew your teaching certificate - and thrilled for your son's good health news.
DeleteMy name is Emily Waymire. In the fall, I will begin my third year of teaching 5th grade at Rocky Ridge Elementary in Hoover. I teach math and social studies twice a day, as well as language arts to my homeroom. I graduated from MAP in 2011 and my teaching experience thus far has been in a general ed-inclusion classroom. The students in my classes come from vastly different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and have varied levels of parental support, so I have consistently worked to improve my instruction to meet the needs of all students. In this class, I hope to learn additional strategies specifically for those who may have already achieved mastery in the given curriculum standards.
ReplyDeleteIn my time outside of school, I enjoy baking, going to the pool, trying to play tennis, and reading--I really like nonfiction! I also like to travel and visit friends who live in other parts of the country. My parents live here in Birmingham as well, so I see them often. I have a younger sister who will be a senior at Auburn in the fall.
Emily - I love having MAP alumni in a class - we have another in this course as well. When I am not working or spending time with my family, I like to smoke ribs and brisket. I too hope you learn new strategies to implement in your classroom.
DeleteMy name is Tasha Williams. I have been married to my husband Chris for 3 years. I just finished my 8th year of teaching. I begin my teaching career in Talladega County. I taught kindergarten for 4 years and 3rd grade for 3 years. Last summer my husband and I moved back to my hometown of Cullman and I currently teach gifted grades 3-8 in Cullman County. I have taught many different types of children throughout my teaching career. I hope to learn more ideas that are geared to the higher end learner that I can use with my gifted students.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am not teaching, I love to shop, and spend time with my family and friends. My husband and I love to travel and go to football games.
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DeleteTasha,
DeleteWelcome to our class - thank you for the wonderful introduction. How long have you been teaching gifted and talented students? I hope you are able to learn new strategies to implement into your classroom, this will be a great summer.
My name is Justine Cauley. I just completed my second year teaching full time. I currently teach 6,7, and 8th grade gifted social studies in Mobile county. I am looking forward to learning how to apply differentiation in my classroom, especially because I feel it will be extreemly helpful with my twice-exceptional student (who was formerly part of the ELL program)
ReplyDeleteWhen I am not teaching (or in Graduate school) you may find me at a variety of different places. I am an avid Atlanta Braves fan. I love road trips of all types. I swing and blues dance. I love craft projects, and when I have the time I participate in community theater.
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Justine,
ReplyDeleteIt is great having you in class again. I agree that this course will help you with your twice-exceptional students. From your description, it seems like you are a very theatrical person - this is something that you did not share last semester.
Welcome to the course - this will be a great summer.
Hi! I'm Natalie Tucker. August will start my third year teaching in a Gifted Education classroom. I teach third and fourth grade. I also screen second grade students to determine their gifted eligibility placement for grades three through sixth, and provide differentiation strategies and lessons to teachers throughout the community. I am most excited about this course for two reasons: I will have new strategies to take back to my classroom and colleagues who need resources and learn new ways meet the needs of my twice exceptional learners.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Elizabeth Bell. I am from Birmingham, Al. This is only my second class in the Gifted and Talented program. I have enjoyed this program so far! I graduated from UA in December with Bachelor's in elementary education. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and my two adorable dogs. I am excited to learn new differentiation strategies for gifted students in the classroom. This course will give me new ideas and resources I will be able to apply in my own classroom. I look forward to having another class with Dr. Besnoy! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! :)
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