My dream is to become a future Elementary School Librarian. While I have imagined and set up my future library for school; I think I have spent more time thinking of the one that I plan to have in my future home. I wish to have a bedroom whose walls are covered in bookshelves with my favorite novels. I hope to have art that represents every category. I have noticed a lot of BookTokers include fantasy novel maps and letters written in romance novels. I plan to have bookshelves that are separated by genre. I can not wait to add my A Court Of Thornes And Roses map to my fantasy bookshelf, where I will have all of Sarah J Maas' works on display. I believe that her discography has led a large romance novel community to fall in love with Fantasy novels. I myself started on #BookTok with Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us, and went through my romance faze until falling in love with the world of Velaris and the Throne of Glass Series. I will have a shelf dedicated to Colleen Hoover since she helped me fall in love with reading again in my early twenties. I hope to decorate the shelf with flowers, to encompass the flower shop that one of her main characters owns in the novel. It is so important to me to appreciate the little things in books and decorate my shelves in ways that make me feel like I am in the novel. I also love YA mystery novels such as A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The main author of this genre that I read and enjoy with the rest of the #BookTok community is Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I personally love The Naturals series, but I can agree with the #BookTok community that The Inheritance Game Series is phenomenal. My plan for her shelf in my personal collection is to have items that represent the characters, like a chess piece or robot figure. I can not even begin to describe the amount of time I spend looking at BookToker's phenomenal collections and the aesthetic way they display them. I love that everyone has their own style, while also having some ways to connect to a specific book fandom. #BookTok has brought me to a community where I can share my passion for reading and books, and I am always excited to see what recommendations I might find for both books and bookshelves.

Over the past two years, I have been blessed to work as an elementary school substitute. During my first year, I became a 1st-grade teacher due to two back-to-back maternity leaves. I fell in love with teaching little ones. I found it so fulfilling seeing how excited we were to learn when we did projects like “building the solar system” or “dressing up as a historical figure from the Revolutionary War.” To say it was a walk in the park would be far from the truth. The temper tantrums, communication with parents, and lesson plans were anything but easy. However, the good moments outweighed the bad by a long shot. Whenever I got frustrated or overwhelmed, I thought about the time we made paper airplanes to learn about wind or the dance parties we had when we finished school work early. Later, I continued to be a long-term/ emergency substitute teacher for both preschool and Kindergarten classes, and it finally settled in that teaching in early childhood in any format is where I am meant to be. I have decided to return to school for my degree so that I am most equipped to be the best teacher I can be for my future students. I also want to be a good role model for my past students. We constantly tell students how important it is to continue their education, so I only find it fair to lead by example. Additionally, I want to learn how to be the type of teacher who helps students who need extra assistance since I never had one of my own. I always assumed I was just slower in mathematics than my peers. I continued to feel this way throughout my time in public education. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that it was explained to me that I have Dyscalculia. I always wonder how different school would have been for me if only I had known about this earlier. I hope to be the type of teacher who helps students understand that it is okay not to learn as quickly or even in the same way as others. I believe getting my Elementary Education Degree will help my career choice because it will assist me in extending the knowledge I already have of this specific career. My ultimate dream is to become a School Librarian for the younger ages, I would love to help the next generation fall in love with books and reading. However, I know that being a grade-level teacher is where I am meant to be at the moment, and I can not wait to see what the future holds.

"Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss is not just a children's classic; it's a timeless treasure. In my opinion, it should be a staple on everyone's bookshelf. The rhythmic words carry wonderful life lessons applicable to all ages. At 23, I still find myself returning to its pages, finding comfort in its empowering message of independence and capability. The book speaks volumes about navigating life's ups and downs. It teaches the importance of making choices, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. It encourages resilience, reminding us that setbacks are inevitable but not impossible to come back from. The book explains the significance of taking initiative, and of not waiting for something good in life to happen magically. In moments of doubt and loneliness, its words offer reassurance. "Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act." It acknowledges the internal battles we face and the importance of tackling them with care and perseverance. Sometimes life can be lonely and may have internal battles that only you can conquer. This can make people second guess their choice-making skills, however, choices still need to be made. Picking yourself back up and taking the world one step at a time is a good way to gain courage once again. No matter what age, or what battle you are struggling with, this simple yet powerful work of literature helps ground and motivate you to keep moving forward, for the best is yet to come. When it looks like no way is right, then you need to keep trekking along, because ultimately your hard work leads you to something wonderful. "...you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way!”

I was always told that I worked well with kids. I was a small group leader for most of my teenage years and loved spending time with little ones. However, I never thought of it as a career path. Instead, I went to college for Criminal Justice and Psychology. When the pandemic hit, I moved back home to help my family. Sadly, I was unable to go back to my university due to financial issues and worked full-time to provide for myself. I was lucky enough to find jobs that I enjoyed, such as working at a car wash and being a volunteer coordinator for a homeless shelter. However, I started to doubt what I was doing with my life, and whether I wanted to return to school for my former majors. On a whim, I decided to go for an interview for a substitute teacher position in 2022. I was able to teach at every elementary grade level and ultimately taught 1st grade for the second half of the year due to two back-to-back maternity leaves. After my second year as a long-term substitute (for classes where a teacher needed to go on leave), I made the big decision to quit my job and go back to school full-time. It was terrifying to think that I no longer had an income for the next two years. However, I realized the importance of finishing my education. Finishing my Bachelor’s degree will help me give the best education I can to my future students. I wanted my former students to know how important it was to continue to grow with their knowledge, and the best way I could do that was to be an example. Over the few years I taught, I noticed something missing in our schools; librarians. Technology classes have taken over the elective spot of what once used to be an immersive and creative experience of teaching kids the wonders of literature. I realized my dream is to become an elementary school librarian. The libraries in my elementary and middle school were my safe place, and I want to give that to other young students as well. I believe that helping students find a passion for reading helps not only with their literary skills but also their imagination and critical thinking skills as well. Though these next few years may be rocky, I am excited to see what my future holds as an educator.

I became a 1st-grade teacher halfway through the 2022-2023 school year due to two back-to-back maternity leaves. I was a Long-Term Substitute at the time. I fell in love with teaching little ones. My main passion for teaching was finding ways to help students be passionate about learning. To do that, I knew that making them sit down with a workbook all day was not the answer. I decided that I would step outside of the box, and for each new topic we learned, I would make a fun and exciting project. I found it so fulfilling seeing how excited they were to learn when we did projects like “building the solar system” or “dressing up as a historical figure from the Revolutionary War.” To say it was a walk in the park would be far from the truth. Communicating with parents and creating lesson plans for the projects was anything but easy. However, the good moments outweighed the bad by a long shot. Whenever I got frustrated or overwhelmed, I thought about the time we made paper airplanes to learn about wind or the dance parties we had when we finished school work early. Something as simple as having an art table, or letting each student have a sketchbook during free time can help increase and expand their creative knowledge. The reason I am returning to college to get my Elementary Education degree is for my past students and myself. I want my students to know that I was sincere when I said that getting an education is extremely important. If I can do it, I know they can. I want to learn how to be a teacher who helps students who need extra assistance since I never had one of my own. In the TedTalk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Sir Ken Robinson explains that educators "... are educating people out of their creative capacity." I want to learn to be the type of teacher who works hard to make sure that students' creative minds are not dampened due to the high standards of the school system we have today. Each student has their own learning style, and I believe that finding new and creative ways to teach can educate multiple styles at once. Creative teaching can help with critical thinking, which I believe is crucial in a student’s learning. All teachers should nurture a child's creativity and imagination for our future innovators and trailblazers. Robinson, Sir Ken. (2003, February). Do Schools Kill Creativity? [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity