My name is Madison Seymour, and for as long as I can remember I have dreamed

about being a secondary English teacher. My time at UI has yielded a 3.85 GPA, practical
experience, and a desire to impact my community through education.
While at UI, I have been encouraged to define my teaching philosophy, but after
five semesters of reading, pondering, and observing I can honestly say I have yet to wrap
my head around my teaching philosophy. To truly form a teaching philosophy, one has
to teach. Although I dont have a defined philosophy, I know what is important to me as
an educator. I dream of a student-focused classroom pushed forward by discovery
learning. I want my students to learn to think critically about literature, life, and writing
while learning how to synthesize thoughts, write grammatically, and analyze informative
texts. I believe educators must be fluid and willing to expand their horizons.
I have completed two practicums while at the University of Idaho. The first was at
Paradise Creek Regional High School, Moscows alternative high school. Before
spending time at PCR, I hadnt imagined such an inclusive, open, and trusting classroom
culture. The students pushed each other to think deeply and critically about challenging,
controversial topics. PCR demonstrated the beauty and complexity of alternative
education. I never wanted to teach in an alternative setting before my time at PCR, but
now it is my ultimate goal to teach in an alternative school one day.
My time at Moscow Middle School greatly contrasted my time at PCR. By
spending time in contrasting settings, my perception of public education has broadened.
While at Moscow Middle, I had the chance to work with sixth, seventh, and eighth grade
students. From encouraging reluctant readers to instructing English language learners, I
had the opportunity to instruct a diverse group of students.
While at UI, I completed an internship at the University of Idaho Writing Center. I
worked with students from all over the world and from diverse disciplines to better their
writing. The collaborative environment taught me how to have a conversation about
writing and the writing process versus simply editing the piece. At the Writing Center,
we did not just fix writing we worked to create better writers.
This last summer, I served the AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate program as
a Youth Developer at the Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County. The 400 hours of
service was spent combatting academic backslide, settling disputes, and promoting
healthy lifestyles. Throughout the day I would be responsible for ten to one hundred
children ranging from kindergarten to seniors in high school. My time at Club taught me
how to think on my feet and how to creatively meet the demands of such a broad
demographic of students.
I entered the field of education with the desire to change the world, but as I
prepare to student teach my goal has narrowed. I want my students to know they matter
that their thoughts, hopes, and ambitions are important and deserve to be heard. My
formal job description will be secondary English teacher, but the position encompasses so
much more than the title suggests.