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Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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My grandmother was my very best friend and teacher. She taught me to read around age 3, by pointing out words in the newspaper and other books she was reading - and by reciting my favorite children's books with me..
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I was lucky enough to attend a Montessori preschool, which is the first place that I remember loving to go to school!
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During my kindergarten year, my dad became unemployed and our family moved to a new community when he found a new job. I also changed schools mid-year, and my new school was the first place I remember hating school.
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During my early elementary years, my family experienced another move, and my parents also discovered that traditional classroom tracking was not a great fit for me. After our move, they decided to educate me at home - a first for our school district! I experienced a blend of educational methodologies, including a bit of what is now known as "unschooling," combined with a structured, self-paced correspondence curriculum.
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After a few years of schooling at home, my parents decided it was time for me to go back to a more traditional setting. Due to my self-paced learning, I was placed a year ahead of my same-aged peers. Unfortunately, though, I was much less socially advanced than my peers. There were more than a few laughs at some of my idiosyncrasies. I had never even heard of the game of soccer - but I learned quickly!
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My parents' desire for me to keep me in small classes and a structured setting landed me in a small high school run by "plain" Mennonites. Many of my classmates finished their education at age 14 so that they could work on their family farm. I was the only person in my class to go on to university education immediately following high school. Another experience with distance education: I took an "independent study" correspondence physics course because my school did not offer it.
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I skipped a year of high school, graduating with a class of 19 students who were 2-3 years older than me. From there, I entered a local state university - which was definitely a culture shock! At such a young age, I was very unsure of my direction in life, and had a wide range of interests.
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At the urging of an undergraduate professor, I enrolled in graduate school and earned my M.S. in psychology. Along the way, I learned that I loved to teach and became interested in educational theory and research.
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In graduate school, I had the opportunity to do research in a variety of early childhood educational settings, including HeadStart programs and alternative private schools. After completion of my master's degree, I had the opportunity to found a small, alternative "learning community" that became a hybrid educational space for homeschooling families and full time students.
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I took a break from educational institutions to help form a community nonprofit. During this time, a years-long struggle with a mysterious illness led me back into studying science research, and inspired me to return to school. At the same time, I learned that my dear grandmother was dying of cancer - so I was off to Florida to be with her as she finished her life.
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Here I am at UCF, pursuing a second master's degree - my M.A.T. in Science Education, Biology Track! http://education.ucf.edu/prog_page.cfm?cat=2&ProgDeptID=32&ProgID=136&pid=G
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