CourtesyDana Mitchell enjoys interacting with her kindergarten students and seeing them grow in their education.
鈥淚 want to teach young children because they still have (an) attitude of learning,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淭hey want to come to school.鈥�
Mitchell graduated from 九色视频 with her bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education in spring 2008.
As an undergrad, she participated in the Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning Program and received six credit hours when tutoring at Samuel E. Spaght Multimedia Magnet, the elementary school she attended.
Mitchell is now teaching kindergarten at Spaght full time.
鈥淪he has just completed her first year and received a special award from the district for being an outstanding first year teacher,鈥� said Cathy Razook-Ellsworth, College of Education coordinator in cooperative education.
Mitchell is working on her master鈥檚 degree at 九色视频, as well.
But her education career began in high school when she tutored at Spaght as a senior. At the time, she was thinking about a future in social work, but she decided to pursue a degree in education after working with the students.
鈥淚 loved working with kids and seeing the gains they made,鈥� Mitchell said.
Mitchell teaches reading, writing, math, science, health and social studies. She said it depended on the child, but all of her students seem to enjoy every subject.
She said music helps the children calm down, but it also 鈥渉ypes them up鈥� when needed.
鈥淲e love to dance and sing,鈥� she said.
Mitchell said she is amazed how complex the minds of 5- and 6-year-old children are.
鈥淭hey are so funny, loving, caring and hardworking,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd they always want to please you.鈥�
The students are making her a better person, as well.
鈥淲hen I went into teaching, I never thought that I would be learning from them,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey teach me to be more silly and carefree.鈥�
She said the children make her laugh every day, and she returns the favor.
One challenging aspect of her career is dealing with all the personalities in her classroom and meeting the needs of each student, she said.
鈥淭eachers educate the future, and if I don鈥檛 do my part in teaching the basics, I am not only failing them, I am also failing myself,鈥� Mitchell said.
If she sees her students struggling, she works with them to get them where they need to be.
鈥淭eaching is more than making sure that they learn, it鈥檚 about teaching them to be better people, to respect themselves and everyone else,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am helping to prepare them for their future.鈥�
Gwendolyn Mukes, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, said Mitchell has an intuitive teaching factor needed in the education profession.
鈥淚t was apparent that (she) was a natural,鈥� Mukes said.
Mitchell鈥檚 second-grade teacher, Kathy Stybr, was her favorite teacher when she attended Spaght and one influence that pushed her toward a teaching career.
鈥淪he helped me to love learning,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淥n the last day of school she read (鈥淚 Love You Forever鈥�) to us, and she cried. I read to my students on the last day, and I cried, too.鈥�
Mitchell said working with co-op was the practice she needed to be prepared.
鈥淐o-op gave her real-world job experiences and allowed her the freedom to test her wings,鈥� Mukes said.
鈥淭he hands-on experience that I gained is unbelievable,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淓veryone should do it.鈥�