Hello, hello! My name is Erin Farrington, and I live in Boiling Springs, NC. I’m married to Colton Wayne and am a mother to Bella Rose (four-years-old) and Caden Gene (two-years-old), and I like calling them by their first and middle names! I graduated from ASU in 1998 with a degree in English. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t remember anything much that I was supposed to have learned. This is not a bust on ASU; it’s just my reality. I want to learn. I’d like to learn. I just can’t say that I’ve done it in decent proportion to all the years I’ve spent in the classroom. My formal teaching experience includes three years in middle school, one semester in high school (interim), and one semester in community college.
Currently, I’m teaching two-year-olds parttime at Aldersgate Playschool in Shelby so that I can be at home (as much as financially possible) with our children. I started grad school last fall so that by the time our daughter is ready to begin her formal education, I will have graduated and be ready to go back to work full-time if this is what is best for our family. I chose to major in Reading Education because I've had students in the past who were grosely below their grade-level in reading, and we were both at a loss because I didn't know how to work with them on a technical level. Another reason I chose Reading Education is because it is a major somewhat kin to a major in English. (I felt like I would get bogged down with all the reading required for a master's degree in English, so I chose the next best thing!)
Having said that, it may come as no surprise to you that reading is not something I've ever done an incredible amount of. When I was growing up I don't ever remember seeing anyone in our home sitting around and reading anything but the occasional newspaper; I'm sure this had a direct influence on my interest in reading. I mean, I probably read more than the average bear, but in school I've always tried to get by with reading the least amount possible. I don't mind reading, but I want to read what I choose; it's hard for me to get excited about reading what someone else has chosen for me. Oddly enough, I've always been a fluent reader and am always one of the first to volunteer at the chance to read aloud. It's the opportunity for dramatic expression that draws me to read aloud in front of groups; I'm an actress at heart!
Writing, on the other hand, is something that I've always enjoyed doing and rarely--if ever--have tried to find a shortcut around it when asked to do so. I believe my childhood environment had a direct influence on this as well because my dad is an excellent writer; I've been a witness to him doing a good bit of song-writing, and he was always first in line to help me with any creative writing assignments I had in school. Because of the lack of discipline I have in the area of reading and because of my bend towards writing, my undergraduate degree in English was fashioned towards a concentration in writing; I took only the minimum amount of literature classes required. Interestly enough, though, I don't spend my spare time writing, but I certainly have never minded writing assignments--especially creative ones.
Erin Farrington