What were your first thoughts when experiencing our ¨unique¨ environment?
Miss Stratton“I had a group interview to be hired here which was unique; there were two others interviewing for the samejob. It was strange for me but very interesting. There were two other women applying
for the same position, and interacting with their personalities was a learning experience in itself. It seemed more fair to have other people’s input, I had a great conversation with Ted and I also felt if that would happen in an interview they would be great staff to work with because they were open to having deep conversations about education.”
How has your experience previously, either through teaching or college, changed since arriving here at IDEAS?
Miss Stratton“This is my first year teaching, so my student teaching wasn’t every day.
I would plan for one day where I was observed. It wasn’t very realistic compared to actually teaching. I would prepare for my few weeks that I was leading not on an everyday basis. When I went to Uganda I was teaching every day, but I never had a supporting staff. I never had people I could go to for ideas and assistance, so I definitely have become more open to influence by others. I’m less independent, in a good way, here. I think there is more of an expectation of my roles as a teacher, so I can be more of a counselor, advisor, and friend and not just a teacher.”
How many years have you worked in your field of expertise?
Miss Stratton“This is my first year as a ‘paid’ teacher.”
What special skills do you have that make you stand out from others in your field?
Miss Stratton“I’m very determined, I don’t ever give up on something I think is important. I will never give up on a student who needs to improve on the quest to find their passion. I always have the bigger picture in mind and I try to think very thoroughly on if my practices, my routines, are achieving my goals and the goals of the school.”
Where do you plan to be with your career in 10 years?
Miss Stratton“Well, I want to root myself in a school so I'm not just planning lessons for a trimester or a year but i’m contributing to the community. So that might just mean I keep teaching, but my ultimate goal is to be involved on another level such as, improving school lunches, working on a garden, or starting a school club to inspire something new and improve the community in some way.”
What do you hope to get out of the experience here?
Miss Stratton“I hope to become a teacher who can confidently help students find their passion specifically in my field, to help them find books they will love that will be like friends and teachers to them. I hope to become open to learning from students and constantly be meeting their needs and I want to find resources that I can comfortably access to constantly improve my practice.”
What kind of goals do you hope your students reach through your class?
Miss Stratton“Like I said, I hope students will find resources to find books and find themselves as readers so they know what kinds of books to look for, I hope to help students move one step further into becoming someone who can express their ideas professionally, and who can interpret ideas professionally, because I think language arts is about interpreting and expressing ideas.”
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
Miss Stratton“I illegally (by college dorm standards) owned a hedgehog for two weeks but they are nocturnal so it didn’t work out between us.”
9-16-15
Student Intern - Isaiah Wilder
