Meet Mrs. BurksI am super excited to be teaching my 7th year of kindergarten at Ray Elementary! I wanted to give you a little background of my experience in the education world…so here we go.
I graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a B.A. in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Design (I am a very art driven individual). After graduating I got married to my college sweetheart and we moved to Chicago, which was quite a change from a small town in Arkansas, but we LOVE it. I began my design career and was not quite fulfilled and knew something was missing so I began to explore. I started substitute teaching and actually loved it; not many people can say that. I immediately enrolled at National Louis University to work towards my Master in Education. While I was going back to school I became a paraprofessional for Kindergarten, First grade and preschool. Those positions gave me a lot of experience working alongside great teachers and students. When it was time to start my student teaching I knew I wanted to go out of the country to complete my degree. I enrolled in a global student teaching program and we packed our bags and moved to London, England. The experience was amazing and I would never change it for the world. After four months we moved back to Chicago and I began teaching kindergarten in the suburbs, where I taught a.m. and p.m. classes for two years. The position at Ray opened up for me and I believe it was a perfect fit. I am thrilled to be working along such a caring staff and such sweet kiddos. Fast forward a few years....My husband and I have 2 wonderful energetic boys. Cooper is 3 and Linus is 1 and I am CRAZY in love with them. They keep me busy all day long. I am sure the class will get the chance to meet them this year. I look forward to another fun filled year in kindergarten. :) My Educational Philosophy My education philosophy revolves around my love for children, regardless of their social standing or background. That love brings out my passion for educating kids because I believe every child has the right to a positive learning environment and experience. I focus on my classroom environment because outside of their home the classroom can be the single most influential setting for a child. I show acceptance and respect to each student, giving praise to each one daily. I hold high expectations for my students because they should hold high expectations for themselves. I feel that showing respect and love for each other is one of the most important gifts I can give to my students; celebrating diversity is very important for their individual growth. Most importantly, I want an opportunity to apply this philosophy so that I may impact kids in my own community. |