there are so many people i would like to thank for helping me through this journey...
thanks to Jack Fein, my mentor teacher, for being such a source of wisdom, encouragement, teaching advice, kindness, patience, and support. Thanks for letting me take over your classroom and depriving your students of an experienced and talented teacher like yourself. Thanks for teaching me how to love teaching, to be passionate about teaching, to have a sense of humor ALWAYS, to understand the process and art of teaching, to appreciate the students wherever they are in their walk of life, to reflect, to be humble, and to imagine the amazing possibilities of a life commited to teaching. Thank you for your wonderful stories. Thanks for being one of the best teachers I have ever had and who will have a lasting and profound influence on who I become as a teacher.
thanks to my professors Ann Renninger and Diane Anderson for their teachings and feedback which have shaped and molded me into the teacher I hope to someday become. I enjoyed the long seminars which enabled us to cry, vent, reflect, and be ready for the next day of school, taking digital pictures of our class, and of course the great break food. I enjoyed being observed, watched, and critiqued in my feeble attempts at teaching and hearing the really encouraging and helpful advice of my supervisor. :) thanks to the education department and former advisor Eva Travers for attracting, equipping, and encouraging teachers, like myself, for educational reform for the next generation.
thanks to my fellow student teachers in my seminar....thanks for the memories and the laughs...check out their beeeeaaaaautttttiiiiiffuuuulll portfolios here....esther [my partner in crime off to London], eve [no more orange juice for you!], mike [my train buddy and future philly teacher], nelson [ the star performer and my philly competition], renee [doodler and web extraordinaire]....
thanks to my parkway students [in all three economics classes] and the parkway staff for inviting me into your caring community. thanks to all my students who were SO good to me, who believed that I was a good teacher [or those who nicely encouraged me to become one], who challenged me to grow as a teacher and as an individual, who made me laugh and smile, and who tried to learn with me through this experience. i will always remember my student teaching experiences fondly [particularly the hilarious dares I made you all do for econojeopardy...i love you guys!!]. thanks to my former students and fellow teachers at summerbridge cambridge and freedom school... you all will always be part of my honeymoon phase of teaching and remind me of how fun and empowering learning really is and always should be.
thanks to my friends and family and God who is the source of all good gifts and who makes all things possible.
["My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9]