My name is Stephanie Whaley and I was born in Bakersfield, CA, on July 7, 1985. My parents have been married for 28 years and I have one twin brother.  I also have two dogs that live in Bakersfield with my parents. I graduated from high school in 2003 where I was involved with yearbook and choir. I graduated from the University of California, Davis in December 2006 with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. During this time I was involved with Circle K International (a community service organization) and Psi Chi. Currently I’m attending UC Davis for my multiple subject teaching credential and master’s degree in education. In my free time I enjoy reading, watching movies, music, and walking.

            Throughout my education I have been blessed with phenomenal teachers that have instilled a love of learning within me and all their students. With today’s standards and array of tests, I feel it is harder than ever to instill a love of learning in children. Learning should be more than test scores. It is my hopes as a teacher to inspire students to do their best no matter what they chose to do in their lives.

            Students and parents trust teachers to provide a safe atmosphere to explore and learn. This atmosphere needs to be carefully constructed and maintained to truly have an impact. Students will not feel comfortable taking risks and exploring new concepts if they are not comfortable in the classroom. One way I plan to create this atmosphere in my classroom is by building a sense of community among students and with parents. It is important that students know each other’s academic strengths and challenges, and know each other on a personal level as well. Building understanding amongst students and teachers is important for academic success. Becoming connected with each individual student and their families is also a vital factor in academic success. Parents and students need to understand my expectations and I need to understand their backgrounds and expectations.

            As a teacher, it is my job to ensure that every child is learning what they should be learning. Through my own education I have found that being an active participant in the educational process is important.

I hear, and I forget
I see, and I remember
I do, and I understand
-Chinese Proverb

 By having students do meaningful activities they will truly understand what is being taught. Lecturing and worksheets are not always an effective way to build understanding of important concepts. My student teaching experience has shown me the power of doing rather than simply hearing and seeing. One of the main reasons I want to teach is to create a love for reading and writing in children. With so many other ways to be entertained, we have lost touch with the joys of these things.

Reading is not walking on words but grasping the soul of them.
-Paolo Freire

 Reading has been a very important part of my life since I was in elementary school. In my classroom I would like to instill the love of reading in my students by providing ample time for them to read what they want to read. It is important to have a classroom centered on a love for reading. With reading all other subject areas can be explored.

Writing allows us to hold our life in our hands and make something of it.
-Lucy McCormick Calkins

 I also believe writing plays an important part in and out of the classroom. Reading and writing allow students to escape into a world of their own.

            My hope as a teacher is to not only teach standards, but to teach children how to flourish mentally and physically in our demanding world.