I had the opportunity to teach with a letter of permission at an independent school prior to obtaining my teaching certificate. After obtaining my teaching certificate, I began as a teacher on call and recently got hired into a continuing contract teaching middle school.

I had a pretty good idea of my beliefs regarding my students and their education. However, the practicum made these philosophy statements come to life. My beliefs were solidified, and they took on deep relevance and meaning.

In the years since PDP, I’ve become more passionate about the work I am blessed to do because of continual personal and professional growth. The more I reflected and learned, the more my perspective expanded and evolved to see possibilities as opportunities, everyday things as gifts, the immense power of a professional learning network (PLN), and the true impact ONE teacher can make in a person’s life through relationships.