Hello, my name is Kelly Wengronowitz.  I have an interesting background, and previous work experience that have led me down the path of teaching.  I attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana majoring in ecology.  This degree choice resulted in various research positions as a biological technician in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of California. 

 

My work on ecology-based research projects continued through the upcoming years.  This work was valuable experience, and made my theoretical knowledge of ecosystems applicable.   However, this work was disconnected from the public and teaching people about their environment.  This realization, to educate, redirected my career towards environmental education.  Teaching environmental education provided an opportunity to use my ecology background to teach and serve my community.  I have dedicated the last six years to teaching students about the natural world as well as themselves.

 

I greatly enjoy working with students in an outdoor setting, and living in such a beautiful place, Yosemite National Park.  My interest in hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities have flourished in this area.  However, I feel my time to transition into the classroom has arrived.

 

I love teaching and sharing knowledge with others.  My experience as an environmental educator has provided me with valuable skills.  I have a gift for creating rapport and trust with my students.  I have developed interpersonal and conflict resolution skills to use in classroom situations.  My enthusiasm and ability to explain difficult material in simple fashion captivates students.  All of these skills combined raise curiosity, promote discovery, and encourage students to learn.  These skills have been utilized in my environmental education career, and I look forward to further development of each skill in the classroom.  I, also, look forward to other aspects of classroom teaching.

 

Working in environmental education has limited my time with students.  I meet with new students each week.  I look forward to, as a classroom teacher, working with the same students over the course of the year. Seeing students develop and succeed over an extended period of time will be a great honor. Further, my past experience working with students in a school setting throughout high school and college proved to be very rewarding.

 

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to teach Third grade at Lafayette Elementary School in West Oakland, California over the last school year.  Being an intern with minimal classroom experience, it was difficult to adjust to some of the challenges of teaching at an inner city school.  However, with perseverance, dedication, motivation, and a vast amount of determination; I managed to create a positive learning environment, highly motivated learners, and an overall successful academic school year.  I believe my ability to adapt to new situations, remain flexible and understanding, take advice, and learn from others helped me accomplish my teaching goals as a first year teacher.

 

The whole experience provided me with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight.  I have many new tools that could not be taught over the course of my Masters Program at Western Governors University.  It is only with this experience coupled with my education that I feel prepared and capable as a professional teacher.

 

I am a teacher because I am enthusiastic, compassionate, and dedicated to making students work to their full potential.  I believe I can make a difference using my strong work ethic, educational background, and experience.  Given the opportunity to teach at your school, I will use my skills and strengths to help students succeed.