Amanda Rodriguez LSTU 300

This May of 2019, I will be graduating from Longwood University with a degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in English. Longwood has definitely done a wonderful job in preparing their students for a successful career.  Over my years at Longwood, not only have I obtained knowledge in math, science, English, and history but I have also obtained knowledge in how to deliver this knowledge to others in an effective manner.  Not only have I learned this important key skill for the future classroom, but I have also learned how to take my leadership skills and apply them to most aspects of my life.  An example that I take great pride in is after I have taken all of my core classes, I was provided with the opportunity to work as a part time teacher at a well known learning center back in Midlothian. One other thing I have accomplished outside of my academics is holding executive positions on both of executive boards of my sorority and rugby team.

I believe that patience is one of the most important things a teacher must master. Without patience, a teacher not only is the one who gets burnt out, but the students as well. If the students see that a teacher is not wanting to explain more on the subject because they are frustrated, this causes the student to shut down and make them feel worthless. As a student who has felt that way many times, I make it one of my missions to ensure that my students do not feel that way. Every thought and opinion that a student creates is important to listen to, even if they are not entirely on point. As a teacher, it is our job to guide our students in the right direction and help them along the way so they can increase their knowledge.

Going off of this, I already practice what I preach when it comes to patience. I have been working at a restaurant since the age of 16. Months after working there, I got promoted to one of the assistant managers there, and the responsibilities was training new hires. I was given this responsibility and have gained plenty of patience doing this. When I turned 20, I landed a wonderful job by teaching pre-k students at a learning center. Teaching these young minds is a tough yet rewarding job. While reflecting on my work experience,  I realized people learn at different levels in time as well with different styles of learning such as visual, hands on, oral, etc. Having these experiences definitely helped me gain patience for others which will help me in the future.