Emerging Teacher

Vanda Brumfield, Elementary Education Major

MPE Scholarship Recipient 2007

Early Literacy Enhancement Clinic Tutor

            “A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.”  ~Author Unknown  

          I am excited to be a senior in this outstanding Elementary Education program. I transferred here from Hinds Community College in August 2005. Since the first day of class, everything has been amazing. The faculty of the education program greeted me with beautiful smiles and a helping hand. I was then eager to begin my junior year of college.

            I live approximately four hours from Cleveland, but Delta State’s College of Education has created a home away from home for me. Teacher education candidates are the center of the program here. This is not just what the faculty wants me to believe, but they exemplify this everyday. The faculty strives to give us experiences in every aspect of teaching.  I have observed in various schools in and outside of Bolivar County. I have also had various opportunities to teach in these schools. Through these experiences, I have grown in my knowledge of education and teaching.

            In this program, we are living and breathing the three Ps: preparation, performance, and professionalism.  When I leave Delta State I will be prepared to teach. My confidence in my teaching increases everyday. When the entire faculty believes in you, you begin to set higher standards for yourself. My performance skills will be that of a well educated, prepared, energetic, and professional teacher. I have been provided opportunities to perform my lessons not only in front of my classes but also in front of faculty members who give thorough feedback. This feedback helps me to become the professional teacher that Delta State’s Elementary Education program is preparing me to be.

            I know that I have not only made the right choice about my career but also the right school to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. I feel that by becoming a teacher, I will be a part of the future. Children are the future; therefore, my role of being a teacher is most important. Delta State’s Elementary Education program is currently teaching me what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. They are preparing me for the world of teaching and I am ready to enter it!