Erin Ryan

Personal Introduction Document in Word

CEP 811

6/20/08

Dear Parents and Friends,

Great teachers, a prominent family life and a powerful sense of desire, love, and passion for education are what have brought me to present day. My education as a child was phenomenal. My teachers were experts in their subject areas. They taught the skills I needed to move forth in school. In addition to this, my teachers and parents also taught me compassion, understanding, and perseverance. I learned from them that you must work hard, be tough, and never give up in order to be something in life. The small town neighborhood and school district I grew up in taught me that everybody is somebody. We all have unique talents, skills, and abilities. Because of my experiences and connections to people, teaching was always the obvious career for me. There has never been another choice, another back-up plan, because I have always known that enriching students lives, the way my teachers did for me, was my destiny.

School began for me at Platte River Elementary in Honor, Michigan. It was there that I spent my entire first seven years, including kindergarten, of schooling. Platter River was then a small building with two wings; one for the upper elementary and one for the lower. I was blessed to know my teachers well and have since developed long lasting relationships with many of them. I continued on through junior high and high school at Benzie Central. My experiences here were less comfortable and more challenging, yet there were still a handful of spectacular teachers who sought to enrich my life with unforgettable classroom lessons and opportunities. I graduated in 1996. Post graduation, I entered Northwestern Michigan College to acquire those basic courses required in the first years of college. I quickly transferred to Central Michigan University to begin my studies towards a Bachelor’s of Education with a major in Special Education. While taking required core-content area classes, specifically children’s literature, I discovered my love for reading and language arts. From that moment on I diligently worked through many English Language Arts and Special Education courses. During the process of schooling, my life was blessed with the arrival of my first child, Caleb Gregory. I graduated from Central Michigan University in December of 2002. My experiences through CMU brought many great opportunities to me. I student taught in the Clare-Gladwin Day School and then at Blair Elementary which is part of the Traverse City Area Public Schools. By January of 2003, I was officially employed as a special education teacher for West Junior High in Traverse City, Michigan. It is here that I have remained. Presently, I teach Read 180 which is Scholastic program designed to reach

struggling readers. I am a dedicated caseload manager for a variety of learners with special needs. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I am also a learner. I have twelve graduate credits in the area of curriculum and teaching through Ferris State University and am currently taking graduate courses, towards a Master’s, through Michigan State University in Educational Technology.

As a student, I struggle in classrooms where information is presented in only one manner. I need to be doing, seeing, hearing, and applying new information in order for it to really stick. I enjoy seeing how things work as well hearing new information. I love words and feel my strengths involve using them in many different ways. I also enjoy movement and hands-on learning as this allows me an opportunity to release energy in a positive way. In groups, I work well as teammate. I act strongly as a facilitator and enjoy providing input through both my own experiences and through research. What I need from others is an equal desire to work hard and a zealous quest for knowledge. As a teacher, I make every effort to remember this about myself. I understand that all students do not learn the same way thus I strive to present new knowledge in ways that support many different learners.

In ending, it is my extreme pleasure to work with your students. I promise that our year will be filled with learning opportunities that will expand and excite your students’ current knowledge. My goal for your student is to become a lifelong learner and to develop a love for reading. Read 180 will provide a chance for students to gain confidence in his/her own reading abilities. It is a research based reading intervention program that has proven to help students “turnaround” their reading abilities. Together, with your experiences and my own, we must strive to help our students be the best they can be. Please take a few moments to fill out the “Brag Column” so that I can gather an understanding of your student’s gifts, talents, and abilities. Please feel free to contact me with your questions and comments by telephone at 231-933-8258 or by email at ryaner@wjh.tcaps.net. Thank you!

Together in Teaching,

Erin R. RyanWJH Read 180 Teacher