Megan Kennedy

I was born in Rochester, Minnesota and I was raised in Grand

Meadow, Minnesota. Grand Meadow is a very small but close
community of people. I attended elementary, middle, and high school
at the same school. Attending a small high school, I had the
opportunity to be extensively involved in extra-curricular activities. I
was involved in volleyball, softball, and knowledge bowl until my
sophomore year. I was also involved in drama, choir, cheerleading,
student council, FFCLA, and FFA until my senior year. After high school I
attended the University of Wisconsin River Falls. I graduated with a
Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology with a minor emphasis in
Child Development. In 2014, I decided to join the Winona State
University-Rochester Elementary Education Program.
I was inspired to become a teacher from my father. My father has
always been a big role model in my life. He had been a Physical
Education teacher for several years and therefore knows qualities a
good teacher can have. He believes that I have the heart and passion
to become a great teacher. Taking my fathers advice, I took interest in
the profession and became involved in a Kindergarten classroom for a
job shadow course in Grand Meadow. While attending the University of
Wisconsin River Falls, I worked as a teachers assistant at Little Minds
Daycare and had taken a few elementary education courses that
allowed me to work in a classroom. I enjoyed working with children and
spending time in an elementary setting.
Following graduation from the University of Wisconsin River Falls,
I moved back to Rochester and worked for the Rochester School
District at Jefferson Elementary. I worked in an Autism Spectrum
Disorder classroom as an ASD Paraprofessional. On the weekends I
volunteered in the pediatrics department at Gundersen Lutheran
Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I knew I loved helping and working
with children. My job within the Rochester School District was to

support my cooperating teacher in devising special strategies or skills

based on a sympathetic understanding of each individual students
needs, interests, and abilities. Working in that classroom inspired me. It
was rewarding working with students and helping them reach their
goals academically and socially. Every small step counted as a victory,
and I took great joy in helping each child take these steps and
celebrate their victories. This job reinforced my desire to teach.
My desire to become an elementary education teacher comes
from my passion to meet the needs of all types of learning styles. I
grew up in a family with many learning disabilities. Ive seen first hand
how a child can benefit from teachers who use a variety of learning
activities that cover a range of learning styles. Children are unique
and they will develop at their own pace. Not all students learn the
same and I believe it is important to foster developmental growth in
the areas of social, emotional, and intellectual needs. It is important
that we as teachers make children feel loved, important, and special. I
believe in using positive approaches and making a classroom a
community of unity and cooperation with all students working together
as a team. I am excited to become a teacher and have an impact on
students lives. It is my aspiration to learn and become the best
educator I can be.