Briana Chu ’12
"Coming from a small high school, I was looking for a college with a small campus. When I took my first tour of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ, I knew that it was the school for me. The small and welcoming community of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ made me feel right at home. The beauty of campus, the academic programs, and the friendliness of the faculty, staff and students are some of the reasons why I chose ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ.
"As for my major, I have always known that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. My interest in teaching started when I was in elementary school. I volunteered in a first grade teacher's classroom during recess, helping her assemble bulletin boards, organize classroom material, and grade student work. My passion for teaching grew from there and has been a dream of mine ever since.
"I love the welcoming community of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ. The Education and Psychology Departments are exceptional. The professors are knowledgeable about their content areas, care about their students, and are extremely helpful... Having a minor in Psychology has helped me make some interdisciplinary connections with my major and will help me in my future career as an elementary teacher.
"As an Elementary Education major, I have had a 30-hour field study in an elementary school classroom every semester. Although part of the field study includes observing my supervising teacher, I have taught various lessons to students in grades 1 through 5.
"During one of my field studies, I was able to use my knowledge from both my major and my minor to observe and discuss classroom management strategies. I was able to use my knowledge of child development when observing and explaining student behavior in the classroom. In addition to my academic field studies, I have sought additional professional development. I have presented a science lesson to elementary school students at Family Science Night at Hall Elementary School in Portland, Maine."