Elizabeth Bittings Seay ' 14, M.S. ’24

“Growing up, I always looked up to my teachers,” says Elizabeth Bittings Seay ' 14, M.S. ’24. “When I went through some rough things in my family life, 我的老师是支持我的人, 这对我从事教学工作起了很大的作用.”

A Carroll County kindergarten teacher, Seay has been an educator for a decade now. But her journey in early childhood education began farther back.

“I’ve been teaching in a classroom for many, many, many years,西伊说. Since 2007, she estimates — her sophomore year of high school.

对教学充满好奇, she had joined her high school’s child development program, which introduced teaching methods and allowed students to gain classroom experience. After her first time student teaching in 10th grade — alongside her own former kindergarten teacher — there was no question that it was right for her.

“That first lesson I ever taught, I realized, ‘Yep, this is what I want to do.’”

Her early start meant Seay arrived on the Hill with certificates in childcare and education. “I knew it was what I wanted to do coming into McDaniel,她说。.

当时，金沙js6038还没有推出《金沙js6038》或《金沙js6038》 幼儿教育 专业，就像今天一样. 所以，她选择了 社会学 辅修了 小学教育 to gain the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in teaching.

在很多大学, 你要到大四才进教室,她说。, even though it can be the deciding factor for many students hoping to become teachers.

One of her favorite instructors was Professor Sharon Craig M.S. 1991年，他教授阅读评估和教学. “She taught us everything we needed to know about reading. 她太有价值了.”

Seay interned in Carroll County and Baltimore County schools, 在短短半年的时间里完成了她的学生教学, 凯利·马丁·M.S. ’99 at Cranberry Station Elementary School — who she is still connected with today — and her student teaching liaison, 名誉教授Jan Ober M.Ed. ’73, who was “the kind of person who really pushed me but gave kudos and support when it was needed,甚至还帮她找了工作.

在西伊的金沙js6038经历之后, it’s no wonder that all three of her sisters attended McDaniel, 太. Julieanne Bittings ’22 followed in her footsteps as an 小学教育 major, and Corieanne Bittings ’22 did the same as a 社会学 major, 而金伯利·比廷斯·洛曼17岁, M.S. 19年是一个 心理学 主要和 M.S. 在咨询 研究生.

“我的热情一直是童年早期,西伊说, 毕业后, she 太k the Praxis exams to become certified in both elementary and early childhood education.

She quickly transitioned to a full-time first grade teacher at Parr’s Ridge Elementary School in Mount Airy, Maryland — the only early childhood school in the county, 只提供学前班到二年级的课程.

我教了六年一年级, she transitioned grades to achieve her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher.

“Changing grades is a great way to stay current,西伊说. “You get a lot of experience teaching different grade levels, and I’m very thankful I taught first grade before coming to kindergarten. 我一直想教幼儿园, but now I know what these kids need to do at the next grade level.”

就像她成长过程中的老师, Seay’s love for the profession “comes from wanting to help others,她的学生不断提醒她. “Seeing their little aha moments and lightbulbs, that’s where my passion comes from,她说。.

她和幼儿园的孩子们一起见证了许多顿悟的时刻, especially when they’re learning to use laptops in the classroom. “The first time they have them, they’re like, ‘What is this thing?教他们登录需要几个月的时间, 但是到了春天, 他们非常独立，知道如何解决问题,她说。.

Technology might mean that teaching looks a little different today than it did 10 years ago, but Seay says that no day of teaching has ever been exactly like the last. “我接受每一分钟的变化. 今年我有19个孩子，他们都很独特. 这些年来，每个孩子都有所不同.”

And Seay is always looking for ways to explore new avenues in her career, 太. A decade after graduating from McDaniel with her bachelor’s degree, she returned to her alma mater to earn a master’s degree in 教与学的创新.

The McDaniel 研究生 program advanced her knowledge of teaching and allowed her to immediately apply it in her own classroom.

“My capstone is about developmentally appropriate writing, so I created a unit plan that I’m using with my students,她说。. “I’ve definitely learned a lot in the program about the brain and how to incorporate more techniques into my teaching repertoire.”

Embracing the lessons in 教与学的创新 was especially easy through the program’s online format. “我家里有三个男孩, so the online program is definitely beneficial to us working moms,她说。.

Seay also frequently supports the next generation of teachers by mentoring McDaniel 教育 students who complete their student teaching in her classroom. “我欠金沙js6038很多. I love giving back after how much McDaniel helped me,她说。.

“对我来说，帮助新老师很重要. I remember that feeling of being scared the first time in a classroom! If I can help someone become a teacher, then it’ll help more kids one day,她说。.