Working...
My name is Emily Droescher and I have always had a strong calling and passion to make a difference in the educational world. I feel that my passion for wanting to make a difference in education stems from my personal struggle with reading while attending school. Reading goals weren’t always easy for me to accomplish but with amazing teachers supporting me along the way, I was able to grasp reading concepts with confidence as time went on. My experience with education has led me to want to be able to provide the same positive experience for other students who may struggle with reading by becoming more knowledgeable in reading by getting my Curriculum and Instruction Reading Special Education Master’s degree.
After high school, I attended Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska where I obtained an Associates of Science Degree in Personal Training. After receiving a Personal Training degree, I furthered my education by finishing the general education courses towards my teaching degree before transferring to Wayne State College. In May of 2017, I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Early Childhood Inclusive Birth- Grade 3 and an endorsement in Special Education for Grades K-6. In August of 2017, I started my career at Humphrey Public School as the Preschool Teacher. While holding this job title, I am required to complete twelve hours of Professional Development in Early Childhood each year as well as being required to maintain certification in MANDT training and CPR.
My professional experiences began while I was attending college at Wayne State College. I worked at the local daycare within the Preschool classrooms. While working at the daycare, I assisted the lead teacher in small groups, teaching lessons, and collecting data to be entered into the GOLD Assessment, which is the standards for birth to second grade aged students. These skills have carried over into my current career as the only Preschool teacher at Humphrey Public School. Along with the experiences previously listed, I also assist other professionals within the Early Childhood field by helping them to create Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for students that have been referred for special education services. Once the IEP is created, I then carry out those goals within my classroom to assist the child in meeting their goals.
As an aspiring educator, I knew I wanted to work with younger students, similar to the 1st or 2nd grade age range, but after being a Preschool teacher for four years I found my passion leading me to work with even younger students. With that being said, my professional and educational goals correlate with my current teaching situation. I want to further my education to better understand the beginning stages of reading and assist the students who receive interventions as well as those students who need a little extra help. As stated previously, I, myself, struggled with reading while growing up so I personally understand the frustration that comes with the everyday reading pressures that a student in today’s society may face. I want to be the teacher that gives my students the boost of confidence and better skill sets that they will need in order to be successful in reading or any other areas that they are struggling in.
While being at Humphrey Public School, I have utilized technology in multiple different ways in order to enhance my students’ learning. I use Teaching Strategies GOLD to enter data to record each objective, its goals, and the testing results for all of my students to decipher if each student is at the appropriate learning level. If a student is not meeting GOLD standards, I utilize the data to help me create a personalized learning plan in order to ensure that student will continue to make progress and reach the goal by the end of the school year. I utilize the CleverTouch board within my classroom to play educational games that help to enhance my students’ learning and skill sets. I also make lessons interactive for my students that can be
projected onto the CleverTouch board, and I can share my screen with my students if we are in a remote learning environment, similar to what we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our district uses Zoom as a school wide communication device, as well as a way to teach students remotely. Another item I utilize for communication is the Seesaw app. I use this app with parents to communicate announcements and to share their student’s work. A few other technology tools and apps that I have used, but do not use on a daily basis within my preschool classroom, include IXL, Starfall, and Renaissance.
By working and living within a small community, I have not had many opportunities to experience a wide variety of diversity. Although our district has experienced some diverse cultural background experiences, I have not yet had the opportunity to experience any cultural diversity opportunities within my own classroom. With this being something, I haven’t encountered a lot of diversity throughout my course of teaching at Humphrey Public School but I strongly recognize the importance of forming strong and positive relationships with all students, so that each student knows that they are accepted and safe to confide in me at any time. Along with gaining the trust of all of my students, gaining the trust of my students’ families is equally as important in providing a successful learning environment for my students.
In closing, I would like to thank you in advance for the consideration of my application. I would love to be able to pursue my passion in education even further by obtaining a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction reading special education. This master’s program would allow me to continue to impact students’ learning in a positive way and to ensure students are able to learn in a fun way even when they experience learning difficulties like I did.