When I was a high school sohmore, I took a class called life skills. This class prepared us beyond the classroom. We learned things like budgeting, event planning, vehicle maintenance, and even how to prepare a will. These things may seem random, but we learned so much over that year that was aplicable to us throughout the rest of our lives. Even today, I use some of the things that I learned. I believe that this class should be taught to every grade at different levels. It would benifit the students in and out of the classroom and ultimately prepare them to be better citizens. The class teaches critical thinking and real-world application to many different scenarios. Some things that we learn in school, such as some complex sentance structures and mathematical equasions, some may not see outside of the classroom. However, the things that the life skills class can teach will be used in so many different ways. Because of the wide range in subject matter, this class can be broken down into different levels based on grade and age. For example, in elementary, students can learn things about communication, responsibility, and even in upper elementary, they can be taught things like budgeting an allowance. In middle school, the students can be taught more advanced subject matter. They could be taught things like cooking, sewing, budgeting, health and wellness, mental health tips, time management, and organization. High school would be more advanced and can teach a wide variety of things. These things may include vehicle maintenance, schedule making, personal finance, college and career planning, communication, responsibility, health, and for the upperclassmen, independent living strategies. There is so much that this class can offer. Because it can cater to the younger students to students that are about to graduate, it works perfect. Personally, I learned so much in the life skills class that I took. The thing that I enjoyed most about it was that it was not just lecture style and memorizing. We completed so many projects over the course of the year and it helped me get to know my peers even more. Some of the projects that we did may seem random but are very useful to me now. For the planning and organization unit, we got in groups and planned parties for an age range and event given. We got a sample of the things we were going to use, (cups, plates, decorations, etc.) and set them up in different sections of the classroom. We presented a slideshow of the budget and at the end got to enjoy all four of the planned parties. Since then, I have used these strategies in planning gatherings for my friends and family. Just one year in that class gave me so many tips on life outside of the classroom and I think that it would be very benificial for those of all ages to take this class. It would not only produce better students, it would promote better citizens.

Brianna O. Shreve “Why I want to Teach” When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse, and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my adopted moms, they took me under their wings to help guide and encourage me, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be, showing compassion and care. I am now planning a career as a secondary education math teacher, which is an important STEM program. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter what their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. I want to help children go outside their comfort zone as my teachers have and push to excel in education along with all aspects of life. With pursuing a career in teaching, I will be able to help mold our future children into self-confident individuals that enjoy learning and growing.

Brianna O. Shreve “Why I want to Teach” When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse, and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my adopted moms, they took me under their wings to help guide and encourage me, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be, showing compassion and care. I am now planning a career as a secondary education math teacher, but the foundation of all education comes from loving supportive early education teachers. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter what their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. I want to help children go outside their comfort zone as my teachers have and push to excel in education along with all aspects of life. With pursuing a career in teaching, I will be able to help mold our future children into self-confident individuals that enjoy learning and growing.

Brianna O. Shreve “Why I want to Teach” When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse, and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my adopted moms, they took me under their wings to help guide and encourage me, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be, showing compassion and care. I am now planning a career as a secondary education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter what their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. I want to help children go outside their comfort zone as my teachers have and push to excel in education along with all aspects of life. With pursuing a career in teaching, I will be able to help mold our future children into self-confident individuals that enjoy learning and growing.

Brianna O. Shreve “Why I want to Teach” When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse, and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my adopted moms, they took me under their wings to help guide and encourage me, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be, showing compassion and care. I am now planning a career as a secondary education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter what their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. I want to help children go outside their comfort zone as my teachers have and push to excel in education along with all aspects of life. With pursuing a career in teaching, I will be able to help mold our future children into self-confident individuals that enjoy learning and growing.

When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my moms. They took me under their wings, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be. I am now planning to be a middle education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. Helping others has so many advantages. One quote that has encouraged me is, "helping one person may not change the world, but it might change the world for one person." Helping these students improve their grades and understanding is so rewarding. I feel like I have made a difference in their lives and their academic career. That is the biggest takeaway from helping others, is how it may impact them, that they may impact others. Teaching is truly my passion and that throughout this school year has grown increasingly. I love the impact that I can have on people and see that throughout their life. I was reminded recently that a teacher is not just a teacher, they are a foundation. Because without teachers, there would be no doctors, lawyers, astronauts, artists, engineers, or even a president. Without a teacher or mentor we are lost. We need that strong foundation and that's what I am striving to become. It is so sad that the need for teachers increases everyday, because the will to do it is dying out. We need those people who God blessed with a unique ability, to step up and be that for the next generation. I am so thankful for what God has done in my life so far and I look forward to seeing what He has for my future.

When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my moms. They took me under their wings, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be. I am now planning to be a middle education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to. Teaching is truly my passion and that throughout this school year has grown increasingly. I love the impact that I can have on people and see that throughout their lives. I was reminded recently that a teacher is not just a teacher, they are a foundation. Because without teachers, there would be no doctors, lawyers, astronauts, artists, engineers, or even a president. Without a teacher or mentor, we are lost. We need that strong foundation and that's what I am striving to become. It is so sad that the need for teachers increases every day because the will to do it is dying out. We need those people who God blessed with a unique ability, to step up and be that for the next generation. I am so thankful for what God has done in my life so far and I look forward to seeing what He has for my future.

When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my moms. They took me under their wings, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be. I am now planning to be a middle education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to.

When I was five years old, I was placed in foster care. My parents were both struggling with substance abuse and I went through a major family situation that no child should ever have to go through. It has made me a strong person today but, even at the age of five, broke me down. I went through two different homes during my time in foster care and thankfully was blessed with amazing foster parents and foster siblings. I learned so much from all of them. I felt so alone for the first year at least. I, like many other kids, was told that I would be returning to my family soon. However, almost four years later, I was still in care. The Lord led an amazing family to me soon after and they eventually adopted me. That was such a turning point in my life. I am now on the road to academic success. Throughout that first year, as I mentioned before, I felt so lost. Even though I had amazing foster parents, they just felt like strangers to me. However, the schools in the area offered me so many opportunities. My teachers became like my moms. They took me under their wings, knowing my situation. One of them even went above and beyond to help me make a smooth transition to a new school. I was being transferred in the middle of my first-grade year and my current teacher happened to have a sister who taught first grade at the school where I was going to be going. So, my current teacher took the morning off and came to my new school to walk me in and make sure I was situated. She even came several times during the rest of the year to check on me and make sure that I was doing well. She became the person that I wanted to be. I am now planning to be a middle education math teacher. I want to be the person that I needed throughout my childhood. I want to make a career out of loving kids and helping them prosper in their own lives no matter their home lives. Home situations can make some kids just want to get a job and live their lives and not pursue further education. I intend to break the cycle in my family and become the person that my younger self would have looked up to.