My name is Ericka Griffin, and I will be Student Teaching in Wake County at Holly Springs High School. I am very excited because I will be working with Honors Seniors (12th grade); I get to help prepare them for the next big milestone--college!
Ever since I was very young, I knew I was going to have a future career that either incorporated or involved English literature. When I transferred to Appalachian State, my major was English, Creative Writing. However, I soon realized that I wanted to have a job that was challenging yet rewarding, where I could teach and learn within the same day, and where impacts and impressions are mutually exchanged between a multitude of people.
I want to teach because I have had both excellent and poor teachers within the course of my childhood education. One of my favorite high school English teachers encouraged me to pursue poetry and writing. He had read a poem of mine that had not been assigned, and I was able to receive constructive criticism from him. I haven't stopped writing poetry ever since. Even though I had a lot of good learning experiences in high school, I did struggle with my learning disabilities in math. I had a few teachers who told me that I was "cheating my way" through high school, or that I was "being lazy" because I asked them to give me extra time for completing my homework. It's these experiences that have motivated and inspired me to become a teacher!
The first time that I had left the country was when I was 5 years old, and I have loved traveling ever since. I am extremely excited about going to Dublin, Ireland for International Student Teaching this semester. One of the main reasons why I wanted to apply for International Student Teaching was because I would like to teach in an international or an American overseas school after I graduate. I believe that by teaching in a different culture, I will learn about my own culture (as well as Dublin's culture). I would like to learn how a private Irish high school compares/contrasts to an American private high school. I am also interested in learning about the teaching techniques and standards that are incorporated into the lesson plans. And, I am hoping I will learn about the different challenges that Irish students face when wanting to go to a particular college.