Welcome all, and a sincere thank you for taking the time to explore my professional e-portfolio. Throughout my education, it has provided me a place to compile and expand my philosophies and insights about education. Indeed, it serves as the bridge that has led me from the side of student to teacher, all the while remaining so that my own student role never diminishes. Likewise, it represents the bridges that teachers make for their students. Creating this constant, stable support is a pillar in my own philosophy, along with other tiers that represent my classroom methods in reading, writing, and community-building. In order to truly display such professional outlooks, this portfolio will also tour you through several experiences and projects I have taken on throughout my educational career. As such, both my philosophies and passion for education and English domain are revealed.
Reading and writing have played a huge role in my life since my early years of schooling. My passion for reading was modeled by my mother and became a bonding activity between us. Many, many hours were spent pouring over books in our local library. On the other hand, my love of language was sparked by my father. We often competed in completing the daily crosswords in the newspaper. High school continued to expose me to different types of literature. College, then, was where I truly learned what it meant to analyze language in order to gain deeper meanings. At the university level, broader contexts were used that opened my eyes to lenses that I had never considered before. This yearning for diverse perspectives has developed into a pillar of my philosophy that combines a love for language and a desire for greater understandings.
As you read through my portfolio, I hope you see the bridge that has been created since the beginnings of my education to the beginnings of my career. This bridge is filled with experiences both personal and professional that have shaped my philosophies about teaching and personal character. Again, thank you for taking the time to understand my personal journey; I hope you enjoy!
Mariah
Bridging the Gaps 