Teaching is not a career to me; it is a calling. I am ready to answer the call and do what I was born to do - change lives.
ABOUT ME
Welcome to my digital teaching portfolio! You may navigate this site to explore my teaching philosophy, classroom management plan, technology that I use in the classroom, professional development, student recommendation letters, teaching evaluations, and lessons/units that I have designed and implemented during my student teaching & practicum experiences. I am seeking a position for a middle school science or language arts teacher in Fayette County. I will completed my final student teaching experience on April 26, 2013. I will graduate from the University of Kentucky on May 5, 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Middle School Education. I have submitted all of my TC-1 paperwork and will have a Rank III Kentucky Teacher's Certificate in Middle School Science and Language Arts (grades 5-9).
I was born in Somerset, Kentucky on May 14, 1989, but moved to Mayfield, Kentucky at the age of eight. I graduated from Graves County High School in May of 2007. I accepted an academic scholarship from Bellarmine University and attended this institution for three semesters. My first year out of high school, I really struggled in deciding my major. For as long as I could remember, I had always wanted to be a teacher. There was never a doubt in my mind. However, my interest and love for science guided me to explore other career fields that I had never given a chance. My freshman year at Bellarmine, I decided to major in Nursing to see if it was a good fit. I truly loved the field of science that I had the opportunity to study. I really thrived in all of my Anatomy & Physiology classes and all other medical courses. I was motivated by what I was studying and found this field of science to be fascinating. I applied to the College of Nursing early and was accepted into the program. When I started to learn more about the clinical experience of nursing, I realized something was missing. I had worked so hard in school and gained so much knowledge, but a nursing career didn't provide opportunities for sharing my education with others. It occurred to me that I really loved learning and applying the science content, but I loved teaching and sharing my passion for science more. I knew my heart was in teaching.
After this revelation, I changed my major to Middle School Education, concentrating in the areas of science and the English language arts. I knew after one semester of education courses that I was on the right path. However, I wanted to make a fresh start and begin building my education experience in Lexington, at the University of Kentucky. As a young child, I had always dreamed of going to the University of Kentucky. Like my decision to become a teacher, I decided to go with my first instincts, and pursue a college education at UK. Since transferring to UK in 2009, I have embarked on a journey that I never knew would bring me such delight and passion. I never truly knew what I was missing until I started student teaching. The experiences that I have gained in my Pre-Practicum, Practicum, and student teaching field placements have inspired me to become the best teacher that I can possibly be. I have had the opportunity to work with students, teachers, staff, and parents at Beaumont Middle School, Southern Middle School, Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, and Morton Middle School. Spending the past two years in the Middle School Education cohort has provided me with very diverse experiences with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in Fayette County. I couldn't be more excited to put my experience and acquired knowledge into my future classroom.
The biggest lesson that I have learned throughout my educational experience is to always pursue your dreams and passions in life. I truly believe that teaching is my life's purpose. Teaching is not a career to me; it is a calling. I am ready to answer the call and do what I was born to do - teach. In a way, I have been a teacher my whole life. I have always been a nurturer, a natural leader, a mentor, a positive role model, and a someone who shares my education and passions in all walks of life. Other passions and hobbies of mine are reading and writing for enjoyment, gardening, animals, listening to music, and spending time with my family. My hobbies and joys in life help inform my education and instruction. I have a strong passion for all areas of literature and numerous areas of science including: biology, geology, environmental science, interdependence, engineering, technology, and earth/space science. I believe that 21st century learning skills, literacy, inquiry, discovery learning, and project-based learning are strong foundations for student mastery in the middle school content. With that, I believe it is essential to relate the curriculum to real-life experiences of the students. In order to do this, I always start by developing a good, strong rapport with my students. Fortunately, this process is natural for me. I easily relate and connect to adolescents and I understand that they are at a very vulnerable stage in life where there is a window of opportunity for me to make a positive impact in their education that will last throughout their lifetime.
I appreciate the time you have taken to learn more about me and to explore my digital teaching portfolio. If you have any questions or would like to discuss my experience in the classroom, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Sarah Elizabeth Ikerd
I was born in Somerset, Kentucky on May 14, 1989, but moved to Mayfield, Kentucky at the age of eight. I graduated from Graves County High School in May of 2007. I accepted an academic scholarship from Bellarmine University and attended this institution for three semesters. My first year out of high school, I really struggled in deciding my major. For as long as I could remember, I had always wanted to be a teacher. There was never a doubt in my mind. However, my interest and love for science guided me to explore other career fields that I had never given a chance. My freshman year at Bellarmine, I decided to major in Nursing to see if it was a good fit. I truly loved the field of science that I had the opportunity to study. I really thrived in all of my Anatomy & Physiology classes and all other medical courses. I was motivated by what I was studying and found this field of science to be fascinating. I applied to the College of Nursing early and was accepted into the program. When I started to learn more about the clinical experience of nursing, I realized something was missing. I had worked so hard in school and gained so much knowledge, but a nursing career didn't provide opportunities for sharing my education with others. It occurred to me that I really loved learning and applying the science content, but I loved teaching and sharing my passion for science more. I knew my heart was in teaching.
After this revelation, I changed my major to Middle School Education, concentrating in the areas of science and the English language arts. I knew after one semester of education courses that I was on the right path. However, I wanted to make a fresh start and begin building my education experience in Lexington, at the University of Kentucky. As a young child, I had always dreamed of going to the University of Kentucky. Like my decision to become a teacher, I decided to go with my first instincts, and pursue a college education at UK. Since transferring to UK in 2009, I have embarked on a journey that I never knew would bring me such delight and passion. I never truly knew what I was missing until I started student teaching. The experiences that I have gained in my Pre-Practicum, Practicum, and student teaching field placements have inspired me to become the best teacher that I can possibly be. I have had the opportunity to work with students, teachers, staff, and parents at Beaumont Middle School, Southern Middle School, Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, and Morton Middle School. Spending the past two years in the Middle School Education cohort has provided me with very diverse experiences with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in Fayette County. I couldn't be more excited to put my experience and acquired knowledge into my future classroom.
The biggest lesson that I have learned throughout my educational experience is to always pursue your dreams and passions in life. I truly believe that teaching is my life's purpose. Teaching is not a career to me; it is a calling. I am ready to answer the call and do what I was born to do - teach. In a way, I have been a teacher my whole life. I have always been a nurturer, a natural leader, a mentor, a positive role model, and a someone who shares my education and passions in all walks of life. Other passions and hobbies of mine are reading and writing for enjoyment, gardening, animals, listening to music, and spending time with my family. My hobbies and joys in life help inform my education and instruction. I have a strong passion for all areas of literature and numerous areas of science including: biology, geology, environmental science, interdependence, engineering, technology, and earth/space science. I believe that 21st century learning skills, literacy, inquiry, discovery learning, and project-based learning are strong foundations for student mastery in the middle school content. With that, I believe it is essential to relate the curriculum to real-life experiences of the students. In order to do this, I always start by developing a good, strong rapport with my students. Fortunately, this process is natural for me. I easily relate and connect to adolescents and I understand that they are at a very vulnerable stage in life where there is a window of opportunity for me to make a positive impact in their education that will last throughout their lifetime.
I appreciate the time you have taken to learn more about me and to explore my digital teaching portfolio. If you have any questions or would like to discuss my experience in the classroom, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Sarah Elizabeth Ikerd