Practice Post- Who Am I?

Hi! My name is Emily Thomas, but most people call me by my first and middle name, Emily Jo. I grew up right here in Mobile, AL and I am attending the University of South Alabama because of this. I had originally planned to go to Auburn University for Veterinary School, but quickly changed my mind as high school graduation neared and I realized what a change it would be to move away. I had, and still have, a stable job here, and my close high school friends were staying in town for college as well. Staying close to home sounded like a better plan that uprooting what I already had going for me here in Mobile.

I have always had a passion for children and knew I wanted to work with them as my carreer, but I did not originally pursue a degree in Elementary Education. I thought that a degree in some sort of medical profession would get me farther in life, so I started my undergraduate studies in Speech and Language Pathology/Therapy during my freshman and sophomore years at South. After being in a few Speech classes I decided that was not the degree for me, and changed my major to K-6 Education. This decision was quickly confirmed to be the degree I wanted to be in for the rest of my life after getting a small taste of the job during my student observations at Taylor-White Elementary School in a Kindergarten class. I enjoyed it so much!

That’s enough about my education goals. What I enjoy doing most aside from the joys of being a full time college student and working full time, *insert slight sarcasm here*, everyone tells me that I am a sixty-year-old woman in a nineteen-year-old body. I sew and craft in my spare time. Several of my favorite outfits I have made myself, as well as the caboodles of children’s clothes and small children’s quilts that I have in boxes put away because I do not plan to have any mini-me’s running around anytime soon! I also have a small in-home monogramming and personalizing business that I run that keeps me very busy, but the business is a hobby that I really enjoy. The link to my business’s Facebook page, “Makeup and Monograms”, where I sell the majority of my items, will be attached to this post. In case you are wondering where the “Makeup” in the title comes from, I also sell AVON makeup a part of my business, therefore it is all-around girly in every way!

I hope to use my creativity and crafting in my own classroom someday, while also making learning fun for my students. An educator’s job in this day and time, especially for those who teach Elementary School, is to teach the foundations, fundamentals, and skills of education and life to their students so that they may use it to pursue their educational dreams. Without Elementary School teachers, children would not learn to read, write, do basic math, or even have good social skills. These are the foundations that children in school build upon in order to achieve educational success through high school and eventually into college, and into their careers. I feel so lucky, because I have already received a chance to start teaching young children in a class-like setting where I work. Every summer my workplace holds a “Summer Kids’ Camp” where I have the privilege to teach girls and boys from ages 7 to 16 how to sew and put their creative ideas to use. My heart is with children

and I highly respect those who have already taken the responsibility of molding young minds.

Click the link below to view my business Facebook page! :)

Makeup and Monograms on Facebook