Monday, November 26, 2012

Who, What, Why


Brief Biography of
Katie Strupp
Latest Revision November 26, 2012

Who I am:

            12 E in Lawther Hall has become my home for another year here at UNI.  Hi, I am Katie Strupp, a senior here at UNI.  My major is Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education.  I wanted to become a Special Education teacher because in high school, a girl attached herself to me and the more time I spent with her at school, the more I felt inspired to teach students like her.  One thing that really stuck out to me when I spent time with her was how she lit up when she was receiving that one-on-one time.  Many students need this but do not receive it.  This is what I want to bring to teaching.  I enjoy baking-I make a blue ribbon winning sugar cookie-sewing, reading and would love to go horseback riding every day if time allowed.
            Growing up on a farm taught me a lot of things.  Cows are afraid of turtles, turkeys can outrun little dogs, and momma cows are as mean as bears if you get near their calves.  The most important thing that I learned though, was how to put others’ needs before my own.  If I was given the responsibility of a bottle calf, it had to be fed before I was to feed myself.  Instead of throwing the saddle and blanket in the shed before racing in to watch TV, it had to be properly put back as well as the horses.  My younger brother is still learning some of these lessons.  My dad taught me how to care for our animals, and my mom taught me how to cook.  My grandmother encouraged my love for sewing and creating beautiful useful quilts.  I continue to enjoy our time quilting together.
            Sometime in my journey through life, I hope to be teaching somewhere in a smaller school setting.  My future family portrait includes my gorgeous future husband along with however many beautiful children we are happily blessed with, and myself.  Our portrait will hopefully hang in the family room of our home in our desired town where we will be actively involved with the school, church and community.  I would like to be not only involved in my own classroom, but my children’s classrooms as well.

Why I am going to be a teacher:

            My favorite part is when you see the light bulb come on and a student just gets it.  That moment when they can say with confidence, “Hey, I understand what you’ve been teaching me.”  That’s why I want to become a teacher.  When students come in all excited to tell you they checked out a book you suggested and they love it, that’s why I want to become a teacher.  When students help other students with plenty of grace and tact, that’s why I want to become a teacher.  When students come back years down the road, talk to you like an old friend and tell you about their journey through life, that’s why I want to become a teacher.  Even if only one student comes back to me and tells me that I am the reason they became a teacher, that’s why I want to become a teacher.

What I hope to achieve through teaching:

            Achievement, that’s kind of a funny word.  Achievement goes with recognition and awards and newspaper clippings.  No, that’s for someone else, not for me.  I want the other side of achievement.  I want the side of achievement that goes deeper than the recognition, awards and newspaper clippings.  I want the kind of achievement that only I notice, not everybody else.  I want my students to high-five each other because they received a good grade on a paper.  I want a simple, “Thank you,” at the end of the day.  I want my students to achieve by becoming more knowledgeable citizens and respectable, responsible human beings.  I want my students to achieve through the little things, but make them out to be a big deal.  I want the achievement that does not need dusting because it has been sitting on a shelf; I want the achievement that can be seen in action, not just in my classroom, but in former students as well.  That’s what I hope to achieve through teaching.

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