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 Jessica McKamie has added to their wishlist Oct 23, 2015
Mrs. Jessica McKamie
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Rappoport Academy
Class Information:
Students per Class: 34
Class Description:
My students and I explore Social Studies, Language Arts, and Reading.
Position:
English, Language Arts, and Social Studies Teacher
Needs:
iPads and cases would make an amazing difference in my classroom. I often imagine how much more engaged in discovering the world my students would be if they could do it for themselves, rather than through me. This could also be done through laptops, tablets, maybe nooks, or even old iPhones.
My Philosophy:
I have been told that teaching is not about giving students facts, but discovering the world with them. Education is not mainly about giving students information to memorize and recite. The purpose of education is to prepare students to become citizens that are well-informed and well-rounded, who can think logically and make sensible choices. When you think about the teachers you had in grade school, who stands out? About whom can you say, "I truly learned something with this teacher?" Usually, it will not be the one who read off the PowerPoint the whole class period. It will not be the one who lectured every class. Usually, it will be the one who showed you HOW to learn rather than giving you material TO learn. This difference is vital. Why do we enjoy mysteries, such as Sherlock Holmes, a crime show, or even a game of Clue? The unknown has a certain enticing taste. You know something has happened, but you do not know who did it, or how it was done. Not knowing nags at your mind. You start to form a mental list of suspects and theories. Toward the end, your list begins to narrow, and you close in on the culprit along with your protagonist. When the case is closed, you feel a great sense of excitement and satisfaction. You feel as though you took an active role in the clever discovery. Whatif we could use this level of audience involvement in the classroom? What if, instead of laying out for the class who did what as facts for them to memorize, teachers instead showed them how to discover things for themselves? Better yet, what if teachers make discoveries alongside them? Students learn best if they have a hand in their own learning, so these tend to be the teachers about which students can enthusiastically say, "I truly learned something with this teacher!" Thisis the kind of environment I would work to create in my classroom. My students and I will not just be learning. We will be making discoveries and applying them to real life. In my classroom, teaching is not just about getting through a subject. It is not just about preparing the students for the next grade. Teaching is preparing students for the rest of their lives so they know how to work toward success.
Personal Information:
About Me:
I teach Social Studies, Language Arts, and Reading. During my free time, I teach piano lessons.
College and Degrees:
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood through Eighth Grade Education, with a focus in Language Arts.
Activities:
I enjoy playing the piano and reading.
Favorite Books:
Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott; Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis; and far too many more to list!
Favorite Quotes:
"An artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work." - Emile Zola "Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy." - Robert A. Heinlein "Eitherwrite something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin
Why Do I Teach?:
Some of my earliest memories involve watching my dad fixing things and asking him how everything worked. As he explained things to me and I understood them, I could see the pride in his eyes of having taught me something new. In my teaching experience, I have witnessed many “Aha!” moments and felt that same pride. Watching students make discoveries is one of my favorite things about being a teacher. It is worth every moment. If you have ever worked with young children, you know that their most-used word is a simple question: “Why?” People are inherent learners. We were created to ask questions and seek answers. We just have to learn the right questions to ask, and figure out where to get the answers. Why do I teach? I teach so that our up and coming United States citizens can find a deep-rooted passion for learning that can never be satisfied. When we accomplish that, we set ourselves on the path of enriching the world.
Percent of Students are:
     White/Caucasian : 35 %
     Hispanic: 20 %
     African American: 42 %
     Native American: 1 %
     Asian: 2 %
Average number of students in class:: 17 students
Number of students I teach:: 34 students