Who or what influenced you to be a teacher?
When I was in college, I was a Business major planning on becoming a big time Marketing executive. However, when I was taking my first major class – I decided to take on a Sociology class. After learning about what was occurring in society, I decided to change majors. I entered into a difficult and challenging research methods course. The professor was so challenging, and the class was extremely hard. I don’t think I even made a B until my last paper of the semester. However, I realized then that this professor was challenging for a reason. She made me see that I could reach a bar of excellence. After entering her class, she helped me throughout the remainder of college. So many opportunities became available. I won a grant for research on child obesity, worked on a community research grant, and I won the Sociology award my senior year. Throughout those years, I was able to help people through research. As a result, when I entered Teach for America, I promised myself that I would raise the bar for my students. My professor was such a positive influence on me and I hope I have a lasting impact on my students.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?
As a teacher, one of the biggest challenges I face is squeezing in all the information my students need to know by the end of the year. I not only want my students to pass the End-of-Grade Math exam, but I want them to be fully prepared to enter high-school and to go to college. As a teacher, time is so precious in the classroom, and I have to make sure I am not wasting a minute of the learning experience. By having a sense of urgency for closing the educational achievement gap, I use ever minute of my classroom time to ensure my students are learning. I do this by keeping them focused on these goals—graduating high school, going to college, and preparing them for college afterwards.

What intrigued you about the opportunities with Teach For America?
When I was at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, my Senior thesis was on the perceptions of children living in urban neighborhoods. I dug further and found out that in the school system, there is a negative perception of students who come from urban backgrounds. Upon entering graduate school, I began to focus my attention on the Sociology of Education. After reading several books and articles on the educational system and how so many students coming from urban neighborhoods don’t receive a fair or equal education, I decided to focus my efforts on working more in the community and doing more research. After doing more research on perceptions, I found myself really wanting to make a difference. I enjoyed graduate school, but I couldn’t see myself making a valuable difference sitting in a graduate office. I needed to do more. I knew that if I wanted to change the system, I needed to roll up my sleeves and do it. I am glad I did. I find Teach for America a rewarding organization that allows me and others to go in and make change.

What’s one interesting thing your students don’t know about you?
My students don’t know that my favorite subject in school was Language Arts.

Subject
Eighth Grade Math and Algebra 1

School
James Martin Middle School

Years Teaching
2 years

Education
I graduated from the University of South Carolina-Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I graduated in May 2007 where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. I also attended one-year of Graduate School.

Favorite Bobcats player
Gerald Wallace is my favorite Bobcats player because he is not only a leader on the court but a leader in the community. For example, the Gerald Wallace Foundation--he not only demonstrates leadership qualities amongst his teammates but serves as a role model for the students that I teach.