Name: Aubrey Rumford
School district: USD 475
City/State: Fort Riley, KS
Class/content area taught: First grade
What you are most excited about with your new career: Getting to watch my students grow throughout this year and seeing just how excited my students get when it comes to learning!
What you enjoy most about teaching: Watching my students share a love for one another/learning. My classroom is a “family-like” environment, so it has been really exciting to see just how wonderful everyone treats each other!
Ways your school/district has supported you: My school/district has been EXTREMELY supportive throughout my new teaching journey. They have reached out via email, visited my classroom to observe and guide my teaching, sent countless amounts of resources, held district level trainings, and more!
Ways KSU especially helped prepare you for your new career: Kansas State gave me the foundation for my teaching career. Whether it was learning how to write lesson plans, experience classroom management scenarios, or learning how to teach Math/Science/English content, I really felt that KSU gave me the tools to be a successful teacher, AND allowed me to have knowledge on how to handle certain situations in the workplace.
Specifics about your background that make teaching the perfect fit for you: I was fortunate enough to get the experience of 6 years working in schools before graduating with my teaching degree. I worked as a para for a variety of classrooms (Autism Dept. at Manhattan High School, Emotional/Behavioral Disorder classroom for 5th and 6thgraders, Severe and Profoundly Handicapped classroom K-6, General ed/special ed classrooms K-6, AND working as a lunchroom supervisor for K-6th grade. (4 different schools within the USD 383 district.)
I was able to see just how things worked (both inside and outside of the classroom.) Through this, I found that this has really helped me/prepped me for situations that have come up within my first few weeks of teaching.
Suggestions/encouragement for new teachers:You may not get the first school you applied for. You may not even get an interview, but PLEASE…do not give up the search. It took me multiple interviews/rejections to get to the school I’m at today, and I truly feel this was meant to be. Branch out, don’t lose hope, and DON’T compare yourself to others you graduated with. You’ll see others get jobs and feel defeated – I know I did. Please, do not worry! The right school, the right grade, AND the right opportunity will come your way!
Advice, help, cry sesh: AubreyRumford@usd475.org
Please, do not do this teaching journey alone.
Now and then in frustration
Waves of doubt roll over your beach
Of all choice occupations
Why did I decide to teach?
Then a look of “Now I Get It!”
Sweeps a face where once was doubt
And the ease of mounted tension
Makes you both just want to shout
As you review your answer sheet
On life’s test, you have no regrets
That you skipped over – Make a Million
And checked “Make A Difference”
-Clair Rumford