Hello, my name is Samantha Bruns. By the end of this letter you should feel that you know me a little better. When I began my journey in university, like many others I had no idea what I wanted from the experience. I had my eyes set on three possible paths: Anthropology, Fine Arts, and Education. As the organized 18 year old I was, I looked up the first year courses from each faculty and took what I could for a taste of each during first year. I fell in love with Education, where I have encountered many professors who are teachers, not just talkers. Teaching not only feels like I am making a difference with my profession, but also appeals to all of the subjects I am interested in without having to choose one indefinitely. There is always room to grow as a teacher.

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This covers why I am a teacher; however, I also want to give a snapshot of what type of teacher I strive to be. I would list the words caring, thinkers, constant, and play as important aspects of my pedagogy. “Caring” relates to how I want my student to feel: like their ideas and opinions are valuable. I want my students to feel empowered instead of brushed off or devalued because of their age. I have a classroom where bullying is talked about and prevented. “Thinkers” covers how I love critical thinking, Reggio Emila, and Kagen-type exercises that push students to question their own thinking and the thinking of others. I value a student’s ability to think through a problem, or explain it in their own words, more than getting a single right answer. Learning is “constant”, and no one starts off knowing everything. I would like to eventually work towards a Masters Degree, but I want to continue to experience teaching and learn more about myself in this role first. My students should desire to pursue their own knowledge as well, and know how to go about acquiring it. Lastly, “play” is important even in older grades. Children learn about themselves, how to make friends, how to resolve conflicts, how to solve problems, how far to push themselves and many times how to enjoy exercise during play. Play builds healthier bodies, minds, and real world skills.

 

To conclude, I will share some of my personal interests and qualities. I am a “multimedia artist”, which means I enjoy experiencing new creative mediums. Simultaneously I enjoy being very organized and prepared, and incorporate these through taking joy in colour coding and sketchbook-journaling in my daily life. Like many other teachers, I have a love for reading. I am also currently learning to snowboard, although I have skied for years. I am passionate about mental health, and believe that even at a young age children should learn things such as self-regulation, how/when to ask for help, and mindfulness techniques. Finally, I am also a technology lover. If you are interested, you can check out the rest of my eportfolio!

 

Thank you for taking the time to read about me!