As a senior, I'll soon be leaving OU to pursue a career. After graduation this May, I will be moving to southwest Idaho, where I'll teach elementary Special Education as a 2018 Teach For America Corps Member. I have been working with elementary children since my freshman year at OU, and am so excited for the opportunity to chase my passion and work with kids full-time! During my two year commitment to TFA Idaho, I hope to spend as much free time as I can exploring Yellowstone National Park, which I visited for the first time this summer.
While in Yellowstone, I took this photo from our car in the opposite lane. I love that the National Park Services afford us the opportunity to get close to nature and enjoy some of the best places our country has to offer!
Before leaving for Idaho, however, I am working hard to celebrate my last year at the University of Oklahoma. In my time at OU, I have enjoyed serving as an Orientation Guide for Camp Crimson, and the Associate Chair for The Big Event. I love working with people, especially in capacities that allow me to serve. I have been a resident advisor in Cate Center for the past three years, and have also been involved in Antioch Norman, a local church. Such involvement on and off campus has led me to some of my closest friends, and has helped me to develop my interests and passions. I am so excited to see how I continue to change and grow during the next steps of my life!
Hi Jessie!
ReplyDeleteI’m a PR major here at OU, so we have communication in common. Congrats on graduating this year, and already having a job lined up! It sounds like you know exactly where you want to end up. I’m glad you have such a passion for working with others. That is a great life skill to have! Big Event and Camp Crimson are two of my favorite events at OU, too!
It is so nice to meet a future teacher, Jessie! Wonderful! As you may have guessed already, I am an enthusiastic booster of both teaching and learning. I hope this class will be a good chance to explore stories and also to think about the different ways that stories and storytelling can help people get in touch with their own creativity and then share what they create with others. If you want to think about doing a class project that can give you useful teaching materials to work with in the future, that would be great. Do they use Common Core in Idaho? If they do, maybe you could do something in conjunction with the ELA Common Core standards, or whatever the Idaho equivalent might be. I'm not a fan of Common Core myself, but if that's what they use in Idaho, it's good to learn how that works and to see if you can make it work for you!
ReplyDeleteHi, Laura! At this time, I'm honestly not entirely familiar with Idaho's content requirements; I'll learn a lot of this things at training this summer. Regardless, I'm not a fan of Common Core myself. For too many teachers, I think Common Core has taken the joy out of teaches, which in turn, negatively affects the kids. I'm eager to learn how to adapt to such challenges in my own classroom!
DeleteHi Jessie!
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome picture you took of the buffalo. Yellowstone is a really pretty place to visit. I am graduating in May as well, but do not have a job lined up yet so that's really exciting that you do! It is really great that you love to work with people and kids. Big Event is a great event at OU and it's really cool that you are involved with it.
Hey Jessie! I come from a small town too! They're so important to shaping who we are in life! Wow! Your career is going to be so fulfilling! It's really crazy that you're moving all the way to Idaho! Working with those kids is going to be so special! Have you ever been to Idaho and are you nervous about moving so far away? I'm from Colorado and I knew nobody when I first came to OU and was extremely nervous but it has been the best decision I have ever made!
ReplyDeleteHi, Peyton! I had not visited Idaho until this summer, on the same trip we took to Yellowstone! I learned last March that I would be living and working there for two years after graduation, so my family has prioritized learning as much about the region as possible. I am definitely nervous to move 1,500 miles away from home, but I'm also so excited about the opportunity! I think it will turn out to be a great adventure!
DeleteHi Jessie. That's a really cool buffalo, I'm impressed at how close you were willing to get to it! That's a very noble profession you've chosen, I wish you the best. It's also really cool that you're involved with Big Event! I've somehow never been available to help in any significant way, so I'm pretty jealous of you right now!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! It must be super exciting to be so close to graduation and what looks like an exciting two year teaching commitment! I am really impressed with all the involvement you have on campus and looks like you will be leaving OU with a bang! I have had some experience teaching children but I don't think I have the patient to do it full time! Much respect goes out to all the teachers and future teachers in our society! I wish you the best post graduation and hope you have a great time in Idaho!
ReplyDeleteHey Jessie! I can't believe we have the same class this semester! I didn't realize how involved you were on campus but that is so cool. Being apart of all those organizations, committing yourself to all work and hours, is really awesome and important. Your job in Idaho sound like a great opportunity and I know you will do really well! Congratulations on graduation!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! I bet you are excited that this is your last semester of college! I love that you are going to do Teach For America. I know someone that is currently doing teach for america in Boston and she absolutely loves it. Are you nervous about moving all the way to Idaho? I feel like that is a far move, I'm sure you'll be fine though. I am wishing you the best last semester ever and a great start in the next step of your life.
ReplyDeleteJessie! When I saw "Jessie H." pop up on the randomizer for comments this week, I thought "no way"! Great picture from Yellowstone, it's a place I've never been but I'd love to visit. I agree that our national parks are some of the best in the world, the Grand Canyon was breathtaking when I visited. I'm excited to get to read your stories this semester!
ReplyDeleteJessie,
ReplyDeleteHey pal! Fancy seeing you here. I'm so excited to hear about your journey with TFA. I know we've talked a bit about it and am really excited for you and your path. Also, can't wait for the Big Event to see the fruits of your labor! Just a few weeks away... though I'm sure you already know that. :)
Hi Jessie! I am curious what is the name of the town which you are from? Also, I think that is awesome that you are involved in those activities on campus. I was an Orientation Guide for Camp Crimson too, and I think it was such a great and rewarding experience. Glad I got to know and learn a little about you!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! Congratulations on graduating in May! There seem to be a lot of us seniors in this class. And even more congratulations on the Teach for America job! I know how hard those are to get, so you should definitely be proud of that. And to be placed near such an amazing national park must be amazing. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! Congrats on your upcoming graduation and exciting job! Moving somewhere as far away as Idaho sounds scary, but it seems like you are up for the adventure! I really admire that you are so sure of your future and passion. I hope everything goes well for you, in this class and in Idaho, and I look forward to reading your stories!
ReplyDeleteJessie,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduating soon and wow you're new career sounds so amazing! I'm curious though, how did you end up in Idaho? I've always wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park so I'm a little jealous that you will be living so close and get to explore what all it has to offer! Good luck on this next chapter of life!
Jessie!!! I didn't know you were in this class! I'm excited to read your stories :) I can't believe you're graduating already! I wish you the best of luck in Idaho, even though you probably won't need it. You have done amazing things here at OU, and I know you're going to do amazing things in the future as well! Have fun in the next step of your life :) Good luck with everything and the rest of this class!
ReplyDeleteThat's a really interesting piece of street art in that picture of you - it looks like there's more to it, and I would be interested in seeing the entire thing!
ReplyDeleteElementary school education is really important. I know that my teachers in elementary school helped me grow as a person, even back then, and I hope that you get to have such an important role in your students' lives as well!
Hi Jessie! I think that it is awesome that you are going to be an elementary school teacher after you graduate. I think teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world as they shape young people’s minds. From the looks of it, it seems like you have your life figured out. By the way it’s crazy how close you got to that buffalo in Yellowstone. I would have been to scared to drive up that close.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! Congratulations on graduating soon! It's cool that you want to work with elementary school kids. Teachers do such an important job. I love Yellowstone. I went there with my family when I was a kid, but we never got that close to a buffalo.
ReplyDeleteHey Jessie!
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about joining Teach for America after graduation, as well! I hope you have fun in Idaho! Teaching is such a wonderful thing to do. I worked as a TA for a special reading program for non-English natives at a public high school a couple of years ago. I instantly fell in love with teaching and have been trying to decide how exactly I want to teach after graduation. Right now, I'm between Teach for America and teaching abroad somewhere. How did you decide to join this program?
Hey Jessie! Your first picture is just adorable. I love the background and how well it was taken. It is implressive that you already have a job lined up outside of college before graduation. You are extremely involved in the university and I truly believe that will help you outside of school. It takes major responsibility to involve yourself in things other than just classes.
ReplyDeleteHey Jessie! It is great to meet you! Congrats on your upcoming graduation! There are so many people in this that seem to be graduating this semester. I am planning on graduating next semester! It is so crazy for me to say that because I still feel like I am just now starting my time at OU. Good luck with your move and future job!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie! What a lovely picture of you, you have a beautiful smile! Congratulations on your new adventure in Idaho, it sounds like you have a great mindset going forward into that and will really be able to have a great impact there. I am graduating in a couple weeks as well so I know the excitement is probably building for you! I can't wait to read some of your stories!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on graduating! You are so amazing and I’m so glad I’ve gotten the chance to meet you and see you grow these past two years. You are going to rock it in Idaho, those kids are so lucky they’ll have you as their teacher. I hope you get to see every inch of Yellowstone you can and I can’t wait to see pictures and read about in on facebook/Instagram. I hope you get everything you want and more out of life, you deserve it. <3