Hi, I’m Carletta!
I’m finishing up my first year in the EdD Higher Education program. I currently work as a high school counselor at the premiere alternative school in Washington, DC. I have worked in DC as a school counselor for a decade and prior to that work, I worked in Georgia as a teacher and counselor for almost five years. My first major in college was accounting with a partial scholarship from INROADS, Arthur Andersen Accounting Firm (formerly), and several small scholarships earned while in high school. I learned quickly after coming home after my freshman year and working for the local YWCA that I wanted to work with young people. I changed my major (two more times), moved back to Georgia, and transferred colleges. It was a lot in two short years and I was ready to finish my BA and start working. I was blessed to get a long-term teaching position before I officially graduated and landed a full-time permanent job just a few months later. I stayed in the classroom two years before going back to school for my Master’s in Education - School Counseling. It has been one of the best decisions I've made in terms of career moves. Becoming a school counselor would equip me with skills I would need to navigate so many aspects of life – professionally and personally. In learning, I learned that I retain best when I see and do. The kinesthetic part of my brain grasps quickly and the audio/visual side does a great recap/replay of the information to make sure it sticks. The touchy-feeling part of me also enjoys engaging with people and giving out nice big hugs. COVID has halted my hugs to strangers and people outside of my central circle. I will be so excited when I can greet people with a hug. I am fortunate that I get loads of hugs (and some times kisses) from William, my 4 year-old son. He gets that hugging spirit from his mama! Technology has come a long way. I remember when I was teaching we were just using email and many of us would just find the person to let them know what we needed. I also remember writing notes and having my students deliver them to the teacher. We had some great times passing notes and making students our “inter-school mailroom staff”. Now, I program emails to go out, set calendar announcements, and get lost in a social media scroll when I should be studying. My favorite social media platform is Twitter followed by LinkedIn. I’m on Facebook and Instagram. I do have some support in posting to my youth development company’s pages and working to get some help with my production pages. I’ve taken a few LinkedIn course and recently completed the Marketing Certificate. I’m a premium member so plan on really using some of the services to improve my engagement and interactions on the platform. I have Clubhouse (CH) on my iPhone and have made a goal to join the stage and talk more this week. I wanted to speak 5 times and made it to three of five. Some of these rooms are really about folks who just want to get you in and listen to them talk. I need to find the CH etiquette book because I might need to brush up so I know when I really should exit left. Anyone else on Clubhouse (CH)? The age of using calendar invitations was lost on me for a long time. One thing I’m learning is that it really does help you keep up and plan your day. I still keep a paper calendar that I write in almost every day. My new process is that I must establish a calendar invitation for anything I really want to remember. In my school, the running joke is if there isn’t a calendar invite – it’s not happening. My teaching philosophy is that everyone can learn. I’m the menu educator making sure you can learn your way which means a variety of options to show knowledge and demonstrate competency. From taking a test, writing a paper, making a video, or drawing a picture, or crafting a creative piece, the way I assess my students will lend itself to give them control of their learning and provide an option to show what they’ve learned. The foundation of learning is caring about your students and understanding that learning is a marathon not a sprint. The purpose of this blofolio is to exhibit the work I’ve done in ITD 645 and how my growth will positively impact my work in schools and beyond.
2 Comments
|
|