Personal Learning Goals

Professional Goals

• My professional goal is to become a highly qualified teacher certified in Secondary Social Studies.  I plan to do this by January 2016.  

I will do this by completing the TEACH-NOW program and completing my background check and clinical requirements.  I have already completed two undergraduate degree programs one in History the other in Global Studies, and taken and passed my PRAXIS I, PRAXIS II:Social Studies Content Knowledge, and PRAXIS: PLT 7-12 exams.

• I would like to acquire cross endorsements in Secondary Mathematics and TESOL by March 2016 

I will accomplish this by taking at least 2 upper level math courses to expand and maintain my skills I have already passed my PRAXIS II Exam for Secondary Mathematics: Content Knowledge.  I have also taken Oxford Seminars TESOL course and will study for and take the PRAXIS exam for TESOL by December 2015..  

• I would like to create write at least six culturally responsive units that incorporate project and or/inquiry based learning by the end of my first year as a certified teacher (approximately January 2017).

I am particularly interested in project based learning (my favorite types of lessons as a student) and inquiry based learning because I love to see students who are intrinsically motivated to discover answers to their own questions. Witnessing that natural curiosity and desire to learn in my students is something that I find extremely validating as a teacher.  Also it is my hope that all of my teaching is culturally responsive because I want my students to know I value their unique cultural identity. Curriculum writing is a goal of mine because having well written curriculum to pull from makes the job much easier on a day to day basis, and would help me eliminate a lot of stress.

Personal Goals

• I would like to save up enough money (at least $1,500) to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to celebrate my best friend's birthday in mid-November of this year. 

I will put aside an additional $150 in tip money from my tour job each month from now until November 2015.  Which means I need to give excellent service at my job so I make more tips. :)

• Speaking of travel, when I eventually leave this earth I would like to have traveled to at least as many countries as years that I have lived.

I'm doing pretty well I have currently been to the same number of countries as my age and since I have not yet traveled to Mexico if I do make the trip later this year I will be on track to have been to as many countries as years that I've lived.

• I would like to be a hyperpolyglot (be able to proficiently speak 6 or more languages) by the age of 30. 

.Although I do not speak any other language fluently I have studied several different languages including Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Czech, Arabic (Moroccan and Standard/Egyptian), and most recently I've been trying to learn more Hawaiian language vocabulary and grammar structures so that I can educate my guests at work. Most of these languages that I have studied I have forgotten much of the vocabulary from lack of use.  However, I do have friends who speak these languages so I will make an effort to communicate, practice in the target languages with my friends on a weekly basis.  I would also like to live abroad again because it greatly improves my language skills.  Although my skills are poor I can still hold a conversation in Czech because that's where I studied abroad so I had a lot of practice on a day to day basis.

• I would like to own a house (completely paid off) in Honolulu, Hawaii by the time I'm 40.  

Hawaii is my home state, but with the median single family home price being upwards of $600,000, most individuals cannot afford to own property.  Realistically, I know I will not be able to save this kind of money on my own so this goal is based on the idea that I would likely be married by that time and we would be saving from two incomes.  When I (hopefully) get a salaried teaching job I would like to put aside 10% of my income each year to save up for a home.