Dawn Thomas
My name is Dawn Thomas. I teach kindergarten at Southwood Elementary in Lexington with Davidson County Schools. I have been with Davidson County for four years and have taught a total of 13 1/2 years. I have had twenty-two kindergartners in my class this year. It has been a challenging year but we have made it through.
In my professional life, besides teaching, I enjoy attending workshops. I attended the NC Kindergarten workshop this year. It was wonderful! I brought back many ideas that can be used in my classroom. I took my first graduate course, Teacher as Researcher, last semester. When I have the time, I try to plan and collaborate with other teachers.
I don't remember when I actually started reading. I'm thinking I may have started reading some time in first grade. I remember in the half-day kindergarten I attended that we wrote our alphabet so I guess at that time I could read the letters. My mother always read books to me. I wasn't the child who always wanted to read or wanted a book but she encouraged me and continued to read to me. She was a role model because I would also watch her and my dad pick up a book and read. I learned to read quickly. I did well in spelling and I believe it helped me in the area of reading. As a third grader, my family moved to a new area. I remember going to a new school and the first couple of days I was there, I had to read one-on-one with the teacher. I knew I was doing a good job because I read every word correctly and I thought it sounded great. The teacher asked me questions after I read it. I realized at that time I didn't know anything that I had read. I couldn't answer the questions and I realized as a third grader I was just calling words and not comprehending.
In the area of writing, I remember scribble scrabbling when I was a preschooler at home. I don't remember being taught writing like I teach my kindergartners. I may have drawn a picture but not have written a sentence about it. I always had the opportunity to write and was exposed to writing. My mom would write grocery lists and thank you notes. I had friends that I wrote letters to when I was young. I always had access to writing materials in my home.
I enjoyed music. My mother was an influence on me. She played the piano and I sang along with her. I learned nursery rhymes with music. I learned Bible stories in church through music. While in elementary school, I took lessons on the recorder, piano and trumpet. In the area of media, I remember learning to use a record player, tape player and television.
I feel most comfortable in the area of reading children's literature with my students and teaching them writing. I enjoy reading material that is of interest to me, especially, books on elementary education topics, self-improvement topics and children's literature. I feel least comfortable in the area of performing a play. I don't feel comfortable when I have to do a skit, for example, at a faculty meeting. That is definitely out of my comfort zone.
Overall, I've had a positive literacy experience. There were things that could have been done differently as I was learning as a young child but I can look back and grow from those experiences. I can look at the way I teach today and have a positive effect.