Starting from a young age I have been with children younger than me whether that is with my brother or my cousins babysitting. I never looked at this as a simple babysitting job, but more so an opportunity to assist in shaping their minds. I would have them participating in educational activities like learning the rules of the kitchen while we baked cookies or completing puzzles and engineering with Legos. Spending time with children has genuinely taught me patience, but more importantly I enjoy seeing the world through children’s eyes and watching them learn something for the first time. Outside of providing child care to family, I was a leader at vacation bible school, spent the summer nannying for a local family near my hometown, and gained recent employment at The Children’s Place. Being surrounded by children is truly where I feel most comfortable and confident. I take in account that every position I engage in will help me be grow as an educator. I believe that children are often misunderstood by people who do not understand them. I realize that these young balls of energy need a classroom that is full of activities, movement, and positive learning environment in order to be successful. I am super excited to become a teacher because I love the idea that I am the person that students can look back on for the rest of their lives and say, "Ms. Chouinard was always nice to me." I want to be the one person in a students life that makes an impact on them without them even knowing it. I want to help students find their passions and follow their dreams. The challenges that come with teaching is also something I am aware of and understanding. Differentiating materials to meet the needs of all my students is something I plan to do in my class. Accommodating and scaffolding so that every student gets the most out of their time. I want to be a leader and encourage students to go to college just like I did and continue their education. Going forward, I plan to graduate from WSU with my degree in Elementary Education in May of 2023. I look forward to securing a position at an elementary school where I will be able to grow professionally in the field. In order to continue to be an innovator in education, I am already considering pursing my master’s degree within the next five years. I will be the first in my immediate family to obtain a bachelor’s degree, which makes me feel proud and I hope to inspire those I teach to apply themselves in order to obtain their dreams.

Throughout my younger years, I spent countless hours providing childcare to my younger sibling, cousins, along with my niece and nephew. I never looked at this as a simple babysitting job, but more so an opportunity to assist in shaping their minds. I would have them participating in educational activities like learning the rules of the kitchen while we baked cookies or completing puzzles and engineering with Legos. Spending time with children has genuinely taught me patience, but more importantly I enjoy seeing the world through children’s eyes and watching them learn something for the first time. Growing up I have always felt this strong urge to work with children, which ultimately helped me navigate a career towards teaching. I plan to utilize my degree in the elementary school classroom. I have a love for the upper elementary grades. I want my future classroom to be a safe space for all children, I want to guide students in a positive direction, and set up the younger generations up for success. I would like to stay in the state of Minnesota and teach, preferably further north in the urban communities. After teaching for a couple of years I do plan on continuing my own education and work towards a Master's degree. My education is important to me because I am the first person in my family to receive a four year degree. I think that having an education is important because it shows others and yourself that you are hardworking, competent, and dependable. Having an education is something that nobody can take from you and that you can always strive for more. I want to help the young children that do not understand how lucky they are to be in a classroom and grow when others around the world may not be able to receive the same.