-
Childhood
At an early age, the importance of reading was instilled in me by my parents. I vividly remember my parents reading to me, especially before bed. As I grew older, I loved to read to my sister. I was not only practicing reading, but I enjoyed the story telling aspect of being able to read a story. -
Reading Not Just Books...
In the late 90's after moving back to Oklahoma from Texas, my family bought its first desktop computer. I was obsessed. Though there was not much to do on a desktop for seven year olds. My parents invested in CD games for the computer. While Freddy Fish and Pajama Sam (both Apps now in the Apple Store!) will always have my heart, my parents had me constantly learning with educational games like "Reader Rabbit." This game was for preschoolers all the way to 5th grade. -
Summer Reading Program
Some of the most exciting weekly trips in my house as a child: Blockbuster, and the Tulsa County Library. The library is one of those hidden gems that people hardly take advantage of, especially today with Kindles and iPads. As a child, I participated in the Summer Reading Program. You had all of summer to read a certain number of books. The best part? (Besides reading, of course) They always awarded a medal at the end of summer to me if I made the reading goal! -
Transition to High School
As I grew older, my parents became much less involved in my literacy. An athletic student in high school, I struggled to read outside of school. I honestly struggled to keep up with reading in school. There were always two things that grabbed my interest: book to movie adaptations and social media fads. The last Harry Potter movies blew through my high school like a storm. I remember binge reading all the books one summer. Suddenly, reading did not seem like a burden. (I'm Harry left w/ a wig) -
Senior Year
As a senior in high school I was a bit lost on what I wanted to do in my next step of life. I thought I wanted to teach, but who? What subject(s) would I take on? It wasn't until my senior year when I took a history class with Lyod Ingham that my future had been smoothed out. Mr. Ingham was passionate about his subject, often pacing around the room as he ranted about historical happenings. He also was a master at cross curriculum. We studied letters and famous novels. -
High School Graduation Night
It's finally graduation. I have decided to go to Oklahoma State University and study Secondary Education. My family was so proud of me. My grandparents flew all the way from Florida to Oklahoma to see me graduate. I want to thank them for their unwavering support. My Grandpa bought me every Harry Potter book when I was a child even though I did not read them until high school. They also helped support the cost of college. Their love and guidance really helped me transition into college. -
Changing Tides
After my first semester of college I transferred. I went home and regrouped. I graduated from a local community college and was admitted to the University of Oklahoma. While my schools changed, my end goal did not. I was still a secondary education major. It was here I joined clubs and found groups who were passionate about the future of Oklahoma Schools. -
Literacy in Schools
At OU I found myself volunteering in schools more and more. I was able to connect to real students this way, rather than reading about John Doe in a text book. One of my favorite events was Read Across America. A group of college students from surrounding schools would always chose one elementary school in need where we could go help clean up and read to the students. This particular year we painted new photos to be hung in their school library. -
College Graduation
It is not always the books that influence you, but rather the people who force you to read them. Dr. Brugar took over the social studies program as I started my second year at OU. I was skeptical of course, hating change, but her passion for teaching won me over immediately. It was with her I became a confident teacher. I was exposed to the brilliance of graphic novels, historical novels and cross curricular activities. -
Adulthood
I had made it. The first on my Dad's side to obtain a college diploma. The first in our immediate family to graduate from a university. I still felt incomplete. I knew I wanted to teach. I was thrilled when I received my first teaching job. I still wanted more. I wanted to help others like my teachers and professors did, and I wanted to keep learning. That is why I chose to study curriculum. It is here where I think I will start to come full circle and feel complete in my studies of literacy.
