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About Me

Hello, welcome to my online portfolio. My name is Sara Johnson and I am a licensed secondary English teacher. Originally from Texas but having obtained my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Arkansas, I have had the opportunity to go through two different education programs. I graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BA in English and a BA in Spanish in 2019. In May 2020, I expect to graduate with a Master of Arts in Teaching in English Secondary Education. 

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During my MAT program, I had two internships that allowed me to gain hands on experience in classrooms. My first was at Ramay Junior High, a suburban school in Fayetteville, Arkansas where I taught seventh grade English language arts (ELA). My next was at Springdale High School, a suburban school in Springdale, Arkansas, where I taught tenth grade ELA. Although Ramay is predominantly White, the majority of the students that I worked with in the context of my mentor teacher's English classes were students of color. At Springdale, the majority of the school population and students I worked with were predominantly Latinx and Marshallese. I assumed many responsibilities at each school, such as taking attendance, designing assignments and assessments, and had the opportunity to create and lead a month long Literature Circle with a fellow intern at Ramay. I have loved getting to teach English and show students the text to world connections that can be made through reading literature. My many experiences as a pre-service teacher have made me eager to begin my career as an educator. 

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For me, it is vital my students understand the value of education and see their value as a person. I want to be my students’ biggest supporter and help them realize they can achieve more than they think they can. When I teach, I want to teach the standards and content I am responsible for covering, but I also aspire to provide a way for students to see the real-world applications of the literature we study in class so they become not only great students, but great, active members in society. Many of the students I have worked with do not receive as much love and attention as they deserve, and that has shifted how I see my role as a teacher. Some days I was the only person who could have smiled at a student that day, and it was an honor I got to play that role in their lives. Schools need to be a place where adolescents feel loved and encouraged, and where they are given opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills they can then apply in their lives outside of the classroom. I want to teach students love, empathy, and kindness, and also prepare them for their future involvement in society. I want to incorporate the Spanish I learned in my undergraduate program to create a multicultural classroom environment, and be a welcoming presence to anyone who walks through my door.  As a pre-service teacher I learned many essential strategies, skills, and concepts that I will carry on into future educational environments. I now invite you to investigate my portfolio further. Thank you.

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