Hi everyone! My name is Andrea Schlobohm. I started the Reading Education program this past January, and so far I love it. I taught second grade for 3 ½ years in Charlotte, but I moved to Boone in January for my husband’s job and am now going to school full-time to get my master’s degree. Although I really miss being in the classroom, I’m enjoying this opportunity to focus on increasing my knowledge of how children learn and how to best teach them.
As far back as I can remember I have loved reading. I often got in trouble in school for sneaking a book under my desk while I was supposed to be working on math or science! I read anything I could get my hands on… magazines, picture books, chapter books, even cereal boxes. For me, reading was a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Thankfully, this love of reading has continued into my adult life. As for writing, I did have a fondness for writing my own fantasy stories when I was in elementary school, but that fondness faded as I entered middle and high school. I’m sorry to say that I still do not enjoy writing. My theory is that I lost my love of writing because I became aware of all of the rules and expectations associated with it. Reading, however, can just be for pleasure and expects nothing more of me than to enjoy what the author has presented.
I entered the Reading Education program, because I believe that reading is the foundation of learning. Without the ability to read, students will struggle their entire educational career. Although I learned the basics of teaching reading and writing during my undergraduate career, I hope that through this program I will gain additional skills that will enable me to help those students who need it most. I would love to become a reading teacher in an elementary school if the opportunity was available. I started my teaching career at a Title One school with an 85% Hispanic population. After 2 years, I was moved to a middle-class school with a largely white population. These schools presented me with very different challenges in the literacy area, and I sometimes found it difficult to make sure all of my students succeeded to the best of their abilities. I’m hoping that this class that focuses on race and class will help me to gain skills in leveling the literacy field for all students regardless of their background.
Looking forward to getting started,
Andrea Schlobohm