Madeline Schnurr
No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit. ~Helen Keller
I became a teacher after graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University (B.S. in Elementary Education) in 1995 to share my love of learning with my students, but little did I know how much I would learn from them. This year I teach fifth grade math and reading, as well as religion, where I feel privileged to be able to share my faith with my students, and have them share their faith with me. I have also enjoyed my role as a "lifelong learner" while working on several certifications that enhance my knowledge base in the classroom. For the past two years I have participated in the Take Flight program, a comprehensive intervention for students with dyslexia . These classes, taken through Southwest Academy Multisensory Training Center in Allen, TX, have not only allowed me to learn more about dyslexia, but it has given me a better understanding of how to approach a wide variety of learning differences in the classroom. I am currently completing coursework this fall in order to become a certified Academic Language Therapist through the Academic Language Therapy Association. This summer I began an academic course of study at the University of Notre Dame that instructs Catholic School educators how to teach English, entitled Teachers of English as a New Language Program (ENL). The ENL program is a one year certification program in which a previously licensed Catholic School teacher receives an additional license from the State of Indiana as a teacher of English as a New Language. All of these courses have opened my eyes to the many specific needs of my students, so that I can help them unlock many of the "secrets of the stars" along their educational journeys.
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