Objective:	To obtain a position as an elementary school teacher
Education:	University of Scranton,  Scranton, PA B.S. Elementary Education  May 2000 Cumulative GPA: 3.46     Major GPA: 3.97 Dean's List: Spring 1 997, Fall 1998, Spring 1999, Fall 1999
Relevant Experience:	Taught over 150 hours and observed 45 hours in a differentiated, multicultural second grade classroom  Pocono Mountain Elementary Center  Tobyhanna, PA Observed 30 hours of instruction and taught in a Montessori setting, grades four through six   University of Scranton Campus School   Scranton, PA Observed 20 hours of instruction in a fifth grade classroom   St. Patrick's Elementary School   Scranton, PA Vo lunteered over 50 hours with children ages 6 months to 5 years    Moses Taylor Learning Center   Scranton, PA Tutor for ten year old boy and seven year old girl in reading Tutor for six year old girl in reading and math
Spring 2000	Teacher Assistant at Magic Years Day Care, Scranton, PA  - Cared for several children, ages eight months to three years
Summers 1998-1999	Senior Counselor at Oakhurst Country Day Camp   Oakhurst, NJ -Planned and organized a variety of activities for thirteen girls ages five to seven -Supervised at least three field trips per week
Summer 1997	Caregiver at Wee People Day Care   Manasquan, NJ - Cared for several children ages ten months thro ugh four years
Activities:	Member, Student Education Club of the University of Scranton Member, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Member, Kappa Delta Pi  Sigma Chi chapter Member, Association for Childhood Education International  (1997-1998) Member, International Reading Association Volunteer Pre Kindergarten teacher,  Vacation Bible School,  St. Uriel's Episcopal Church     Sea Girt, NJ  (1992- 1997) Volunteer Aide, Day Nursery Association  Scranton, PA < br>Volunteer Aide, Moses Taylor Learning Center  Scranton, PA Participant, Keystone Aquatic Resource Education Workshop Participant, Population Education Training
Travel Experience:	Traveled to Germany, France, and Switzerland
Computer Skills:	Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Electronic Mail, Internet Children's comput er programs: Reader Rabbit, Carmen Sandiego, CCC (Individualized math and reading program)
Personal Web Page:	Available via http://academic.uofs.edu/student/mertensa2/
References/ Portfolio:	Available upon request

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    Teaching is a combination of a science and an art.  It is a science because of the methodical manner in which teachers use certain tactics or teach specific skills at different points in a child's development.  A teacher needs to be an expert in child development and constantly aware of what each student is prepared to learn.  However, teaching is also an art because it requires a great deal of creativity and imagination.  I view the ability to teach as a gift for which I am very grateful.  This gift is similar to that of a sculptor or a pianist.  It can be refined and improved upon, but never taken away.
    The roles of both the teacher and the student need to be clearly defined.  I affirm that the teacher is both a facilitator and the students' partner in learning.  The teacher provides the information as well as the opportunity to manipulate, understand, and apply it.  However, the teacher, like the student, never stops learning.  Everyday the teacher will teach the students something new and everyday the students will teach the teacher.  Whether she learns something about the subject matter, her students, or herself, she should never close her mind to new information.  It is for this reason that the student is an active part of the classroom as a learner and as a teacher.  The student is essential to the learning process.  They need to be motivated both extrinsically and intrinsically.  The teacher should present the information in an interesting manner which causes students to think about the material critically.  However, there must be something inside the child that motivates him and makes him want to learn more.  It is the teacher's job to find out what that motivation is and use it to enable him to work to his potential.
    I believe that children are all individuals and they need to be taught as well as respected as such.  Additionally, children have one special trait that most adults tend to lose over the years.  This is their curiosity and natural need to know "why".  Too often teachers do not use this curiosity to build the child's inter est in school.  Every time a child asks their teacher why and the teacher disregards the question, another teachable moment has been missed.

    Although my philosophy of education is something in which I strongly believe at the present, I know that is will change and grow as I grow as a person and as a teacher.  This is what I feel to be the essence of education. Growth. As I sit here now contemplating my beliefs, I am filled wit h anticipation to watch my students grow both scholastically and physically.  We are blessed as teachers to be given this opportunity and I am looking forward to it.

                                                 &nbs p;                                                                                                   APM    1/23/00

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October 8, 1999
    This past week seemed longer than the others.  The kids were tired, the teachers were tired, and I was tired.
I think that one reason it seemed so long was Open House.  Wednesday was Open House for second and third grade and I think it was one of the lo ngest days of my life.  First, I had to stand up in front of all of the parents and explain who I was and why I was there.  Then, I was swarmed by parents who all had specific questions about their child.  I tried to answer their questions as best as I could, but I hardly felt qualified to make suggestions or offer advice.  So, instead I politely said that I had only been there for a short time and invited them to speak with my cooperating teacher.

October 29, 1999
    This week was definitely the most hectic so far.  With Halloween quickly approaching, the kids were very excited and hyper to say the least.  We practiced being excited with our hand and not with our mouths.  I also initiated a new reward system called "Caught You Being Good".  I typed and copied a bunch of notes to send home with blanks so we can fil l in the student's name.  We call these Happy Notes.  The kids seem to really like it and work hard to earn them.  And the best part is: it's FREE.  I have only been using this system for four days, but I am very happy with the results so far.

November 5, 1999
    This week was full of learning experiences for me.  At the end of last week, one of my studen ts moved and at the very beginning of this week we got a new student.  When the secretary brought him in on his first day, I thought he was a kindergartner.  He is much smaller than even the smallest student in my class, however we were told that he just turned eight  in October and moved to a new foster home at the beginning of this month.  Right from the beginning, Mrs. Berman and I loved him.  He smiles all of the the time  and is very well mannered.  It wa sn't until later that we realized what a challenge he was going to be.  In reading, I worked with him one-on-one.  We went through about 25 word cards and he could not read one without assistance.  At one point we spent five minutes sounding out the word "so".
    It was very exhausting for me but I had no idea how much it had taken out of him.  I found out about an hour later when, during an English lesson on adjectives, he fell fast asleep.  I let him sleep for about a half hour, but when I could barely wake him I decided to take him to the nurse.  We learned that he is taking three different kinds of medications and could be over-medicated.  It made me so sad.

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