About Me: September 2020 Versus March 2021
While I find myself consistently updating my ePortfolio, I have noticed that there is one section that I have not only neglected, but have completely forgotten about: my About Me section! And one could argue that this is a vital part of my ePortfolio because what do people do first when they want to know more about somebody’s website on a personal level? They read through and explore this section. My goal for the first part of this blog page is to re-read and reflect upon my current About Me section and update it with newfound learning and perspectives, so let’s dive in. Here is what I thought about myself back in September, 2020:
Hi there! Thank you for joining me on my page.
My name is Samantha Morey and I am an Elementary Teacher candidate currently studying at UNBC in bustling Prince George, BC. I have wanted to become a teacher since I was in kindergarten, I had had the most inspiring individual as my very first teacher and I remember thinking to my young self “I want to do this every day when I’m grown up!”.
As a future educator, I am most looking forward to being a member of the education community. I was born and raised in Prince George and was always a student of SD57, so to have the opportunity to work within it is a dream come true. And the possibility of working alongside some of those teachers who made my experience so wonderful? Don’t even get me started!
To start off with a little two stars and a wish type assessment I would say 1) love the enthusiasm, 2) I connected really well to place even before really diving into the program, which serves as a reminder that some things came naturally before I learned them, and 3) let’s get PERSONAL. Obviously I want to be a teacher! But what is it about me that works with the profession, that grapples onto the knowledge and has developed the ability to create it’s own pedagogy?
Through my experiences within these first two blocks of the program I have learned so much about what it means to be an educator as well as remaining true to myself. I have undergone really hard days, personally, professionally, and academically, and have come out the other side wiser and much more confident in my abilities. I have found inspiration through professional development days, Coaching Teachers, professors, and within myself whilst working on assignments.
It has only been six months and I can already feel the evolution within myself as a grow into this profession, and with evolution comes change, therefore a new About Me section (go check it out!). I am excited to reflect back on the progression of what I have to say about myself as the program continues and as I add more tools to my educational belt. I am grateful for every experience, the good and the bad, and I honour the change.
About Me: March 2021 Versus December 2021
Hi again! Now we are jumping 9 months forward and I have to say… so much has changed. I love looking back at my previous About Me sections because I can see how my pedagogy has shifted and the changing of my values. I find it funny how I went from such a newbie, to someone who was totally and completely inspired by her learning, to now as an individual who has real experience and a more realistic view of what it is to be an educator. I am still just as motivated and inspired as I was 9 months ago when I last updated this section of my blog, but I think that this new outlook of teaching based on real life experiences has grounded a lot of my learning and has made my thinking less whimsical and more oriented towards making tangible change as a teacher.
If you go and take a look at my new About Me section, you will see that I have officially accepted my first teaching contract! And while I always knew that this is where the program would lead me, it’s still hard to believe that I have made it this far with my own learning journey. I also have a newfound understanding and relationship with the First Peoples Principles of Learning which I believe is the true source of why my practices are more grounded than they were during my last update. I have solidified my bond with the environment around me and can finally feel how my outlandish and dreamlike motivations have manifested into actual actions and change.
Below you will find my About Me section as it was in March of 2021, and if you head over to the section on my blog you will see what I have updated it to.
Hi! Join me on my journey to becoming an Elementary School Educator!
My name is Samantha Morey, Miss. Morey, or even Miss. Sam, and I am a Teacher Candidate studying at UNBC on the unceded traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh in Prince George, B.C. Currrently, I am almost halfway through the program and am grateful every single day for the opportunities I have to live, learn, and grow my sense of community.
As I progress through the program I spend a lot of time reflecting on where I was and where I am going. The concept of education itself has changed so drastically for me, but one thing has always remained: I carry the attributes of a educator within my soul. I cherish my community, the future, and the well-being of all students, past, present, and future. I am always building my relationship with the Earth as well as with those around me.
My personal pedagogy relies quite heavily on holistic learning, because it is one thing to teach the future members of society skills and to provide them with educational resources, but it is another to show them compassion, empathy, and how to be present.
Thank you
