All About Me

Introduction

Photo Credit: Blog Author 

  Welcome to my blog! My name is Mayci Edwards and I am 22 years old. I am from a Carmi, a small town of 5,000 in Southern Illinois.  Growing up, I was highly involved with my school and community. This made me realize my passion was to study education and become a teacher. I had so many positive experiences in school and looked at my teachers as role models. At a young age, I decided that I wanted to make that same impact on others like they did for me.  Follow along as I begin my journey in education as a first-year teacher. It's hard to believe that my dream of becoming a teacher is finally reality.

Photo Credit: SIUs Twitter

  My Education

In high school, I began taking college courses at a local junior college. After I graduated high school, I moved to Carbondale to attend Southern Illinois University. I have recently graduated from SIU in December 2022 with a bachelors in elementary education. My student teaching experience in a 3rd grade EL classroom led me to continue my education and gain my ESL endorsements through Dominican University. While I taking courses on my ESL endorsements, I was hired as a long-term substitute at Unity Point School in Carbondale. Now, I am currently a 3rd grade teacher there and working on my masters.

The Mind of a First-year Teacher

WOW! How is September this week? These past couple weeks of school have been overwhelming with joy and stress. It seems like yesterday; I was setting up and decorating my first classroom. Now, I am planning lessons and grading nonstop! I have been implementing my classroom management and working on setting rules and routines with my students. On top of that, I have my first parent/teacher conferences coming up next week! I have already built so many great relationships with my students, their families, and the staff at my school. I can't wait to continue learning more about my students and their learning styles each day. I am looking forward to an awesome year with my first classroom. Lastly, I am excited to grow as an educator and learn more about teaching each day! Teaching is a growing process and I am trying my best to leave school with a positive mindset. Every day I am reflecting on my teaching and what went well and want needs to be revised or improved. I have already learned so much about being flexible and replanning lessons. As I continue my education, I hope to gain more knowledge on technology in the classroom through the EDU 776 course at Dominican University. I use technology daily with my 3rd grades to engage them in various lessons and advance learning. I believe this course will allow me to implement new methods and better my teaching strategies and techniques. Not only am I reflecting on myself but also student learning and behaviors. PSA: If you have any first-year teacher tips, they are greatly appreciated. 

Source: GIPHY.com

Outside of Teaching 

In my free time, I enjoy being active whether that's at the gym or outside on a walk. I LOVE being outside in the sun. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family. These are my ways to distract myself and manage stress. I also enjoy to travel, my favorite place to be is at the beach (relaxing). A fun fact about me is that I just adopted two kittens! They have been keeping me entertained at night after a long day of teaching. Piper and Leo are five months old. They enjoy sleeping during the day and playing all throughout the night! 

Photo Credit: Blog Author