Michael Castle
Michael worked in the Rockford, IL public schools and currently works in the Sparta, WI Area School District as an ESL teacher and Homebound teacher. Michael says, "I love my job. Sparta is a small town of about 9,000. I moved here because I was offered a job as a teacher. As a beginning teacher it is delusional to base your first teaching experience on location. If you are holding out for a Social Studies position to open up in your home town or in sunny San Diego, then you may be in teaching for the wrong reasons." He says the ELL enrollment has skyrocketed. Last year they had 14 students receiving ESL services, and this year they have 34 students. Hightlights of the year so far: working with students; establishing an ESL aide position; ELL cluster plan; meeting and working with numerous people to discuss the needs of students (parents, principals, superintendent, school board members, psychologists, counselors, teachers, secretaries, judges, court supervisors, occupational therapists, speech therapists, administrators, clergy, social services, etc.); grant development ($300 for books, other grants in progress); dialoging with other ESL teachers locally and throughout the state; translating documents to Spanish; attending conferences and workshops; graduate coursework through WI-TESOL and UW-Oshkosh; but especially "seeing the difference we make in the lives of so many is a reward unto itself."
Alana Coats
Alana teaches English 9 and 10 at Parker High School in Janesville, WI after long-term substituting at Evansville High School and Beloit Memorial High School. This summer she will teach a new summer school course meant for student who have low reading levels. The course will focus on reading and writing strategies, vocabulary acquisition, and will offer opportunities to engage in fun, reading level-appropriate books. And this coming fall, she has been asked to teach a class meant for advanced incoming freshmen; it will combine the English 9 Honors and English 10 Honors curriculum into one year-long class, allowing these students to accelerate their English studies through their high school career. Alana says she is thrilled to be teaching these new classes in addition to her regular schedule! Of her Beloit College experience she says, “Beloit College taught me to keep an open mind and never make assumptions, especially when it comes to the backgrounds of our students. This lesson has been incredibly valuable because I find that I rarely--if ever--exclude my students by making statements based on assumptions I have about their religion, family background, SES, sexual orientation, etc. My classes feel like communities to me, and my students, as well. I know this based on our class discussions, personal chit-chats before and after school, and the topics we're able to cover in our short, 50-minute class periods.
As a side-note, I have found that it takes the right school to allow you to know you are in the right place, doing the right thing as your career. I had my second-guesses about whether or not I was meant to teach high school English, but it truly came down to the environment. Some environments are toxic, some of the schools' teachers are, but then there are those places that are alive and positive, and the teachers believe in their students and strive to help them succeed. Beloit College taught me to endure when times are rough, and to know that there are places out there that fit every type of teacher. My advice is to never compromise your philosophy and style, and to keep looking for the school that is, as Goldilocks says, "just right" for you. It makes a HUGE difference in your effectiveness and teacher-spirit. I love my job!"
Her teaching tips include: "Take each day as it comes. As a student-teacher, I was a basket-case most days because I planned things out so meticulously that I did not leave room for flexibility. I felt like I needed to keep to my plans, and it wasn't until my student-teaching experience in New Zealand that I truly embraced the concept of "going with the flow"--something my cooperating teacher, Daryl Saladar (BMHS), taught me. It soaked in several months after my time at Beloit Memorial, but I still gained the knowledge that each day really is different, so if yesterday was a doozy, it does not mean tomorrow will be, too.
As far as flexibility goes, it's necessary! I have had some fantastic, engaging, and hilarious discussions and moments with my students on off-topics that were not in my lesson plans. Always have a plan going into each class, but welcome change and flexibility each day, too.
Always over plan. It's a comforting feeling knowing there is always something of high quality waiting to be explored in the event the main lesson finishes early. Well, it's a comfort for me, at least!
Lastly: all kids truly want to do well and please their teachers. Some students may act in ways that might make my statement seem impossible, but I have found that deep, deep down, kids want to do well and all kids have the capability to do well. Sometimes these kids need the right resources (like appropriate texts), some need positive attention and reinforcement, some need teachers to stay on their case and not back down, and others just need a positive adult in their lives. Sometimes it feels impossible to be and do all these things, but it's possible, and incredibly rewarding for both the students and you." updated 4-30-07
Emily Eisenhauer
Emily says her student teaching experience in New Zealand was amazing and one of the most influential experiences she'll ever have. When she came back to the states (completely broke) she started substitute teaching in local school districts. After subbing in elementary classrooms and teaching 10th grade English during a maternity leave, she decided that teaching wasn't for her. She realized while she was teaching that she really wanted to be building and designing things. She is currently working on a resume and portfolio in preparation for design school in the near future. She is taking art classes, making her own furniture, designing costumes for a local opera company, and assisting a wedding photographer on weekends. Someday she would like to open her own furniture gallery somewhere. She says, "Even though I didn't pan out as an educator, thanks for all that you gave me while I was trying."
Kristen Gullickson
Kristing is on her second year of teaching at an at-risk school in Carpentersville, IL where she teaches fifth grade and says she loves it! Starting Jan 11 she will be pursuing her MA in school leadership through Concordia University, River Forest. IL where she anticipates a summer 2007 completion date. This coming summer (July 2, 2006) she is getting married to a fantastic man named Aaron Sainsbury (not a Beloit graduate). He is a special education teacher who will complete his masters in May from Northern Illinois University.
Caroline Hesse
Caroline has been teaching Spanish or ESL in the Madison, WI area at the high school and middle school levels. She also writes, "Resisting existential worries. Paying loans. Working in the summer as an aide to a child with cerebral palsy. Getting used to all the paperwork involved in teaching, and all those little secretarial duties I never expected." She would like brand new education majors to know that, "The salary, especially at the beginning, is not enough to get you a house loan in a city like Madison, yet if you have a master's degree districts may not hire you because they are tight on cash. Just a reality check. I've been considering my options, and may not be staying with secondary teaching forever. However, Spanish is a good bet - ever growing demand."
Chris Kindschi
Chris immediately began a long-term substitute position at Turner Middle School in Beloit, teaching 8th grade earth science. He says, "I never thought that I had the patience for middle school, but found out how much fun and energizing it can be. It was a blast." Chris was hired by the School District of Beloit to work at the alternative high school in the Kolak Education Center - Pathways where he currently teaches math and science. In additiion, he travels to main campus for 4th block and teaches science and technology and biology. He is also the varsity coach for both the boys and girls soccer teams at Beloit Memorial High School. He loves being a teacher and enjoys the challenge of teaching students how to think on their own and problem solve. Chris says, "While at Beloit I always said that I wanted my students to learn that science can be fun and it does apply to everyday life. During the first term, I realized that I was not fulfilling my goal as a teacher, and completely re-vamped my approach. I have stepped outside of the approach that many of my colleagues use and tried out some new ideas while still working within the guidelines of the curriculum, essential understandings and standards. As a student teacher, my Science and Technology class earned an average of 47% on the final exam (which was the average across all of the Sci Tech classes). This year, my class average was a 60% on the final exam! (Still not a stellar performance, but a huge increase) and I would like to think that my energy and some of the new approaches I used contributed to this. I am very proud of my students. They worked extremely hard and accomplished a great deal as individuals, all while learning how science applies to everyday life." Among his accomplishments, he was nominated this past year for the 8th Edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers (not bad for a student teacher and long-term sub), and recently received notice that he had been nominated again by a student for the 9th Edition.
Jenny Kluge Schieve
Jenny says, “I love what I do everyday. I believe that Beloit College has prepared me to be a flexible, creative teacher.” For the past two years Jenny taught 4th and 5th grade at Brother Dutton in Beloit, and is now teaching 8th grade science and U.S. History at McNeel Middle School in Beloit. Jenny says, "I got married in August of 2005 (hence the new last name). I just received my Master’s Degree in Education (professional development) from UW-LaCrosse in December of 2006, and my husband and I are expecting our 1st child in April!" updated 4-30-07
Joe Kostia
Joe is teaching World Geography to freshmen at Bridgeport High School in Texas. He also coaches the defensive backs on the football team, as well as working with the baseball players on strength and conditioning. He says his Beloit College experience inspired him to work with the student council to get recycling for all Bridgeport ISD schools." updated 4-30-07
Amelie Smith
After finishing her student teaching in seventh grade social studies at a Beloit middle school, in January '04 Amelie moved to the east coast to seek out teaching positions in an urban setting. She found her match in a brand new charter school in the Capital Hill area of Washington, DC. She is currently a first-year Pre-kindergarten teacher and thinks having alumni discuss what they are doing at the moment is a wonderful idea.