Introduction

Hey guys! My name is Mandy (Walker) Jennings. I am a teacher licensure candidate at Appalachian State University taking classes through one of their off campus cohorts. As you guys know, we are in our nearing the end of our second year together and I could honestly say that these classes have been some of the best that I have had the pleasure of taking.

                I was born in 1983 to Steve and Lorie Walker at Catawba Valley Medical Center. I, along with my mom, dad, and younger siblings Ashley and Steven, lived on the same plot of land until I left for college. After graduating from East Lincoln High School in 2002, I made the weekly trek to the great University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I graduated in 2005 after 3 ½ years of basically mundane classes with two degrees- Communication of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Psychology. However, I had a major car wreck two weeks after graduation, making me seriously reconsider what I was doing with my life, including my future education and my relationship with my fiancée. I enrolled in the teaching program a few short months later and set a date for our wedding. Jon and I got married July 29, 2006. We spent a week on our honeymoon, the next week signing on and moving into our house, and the next week started our first class as a cohort. As most of you know, that is how I spend my life; I am always moving with something(s) going on and have one foot out the door before the other one is completely in.

                I decided to become a teacher for three reasons. To start with the obvious reason, I am excellent at math and science and have decided to concentrate on those facets of middle grades education.  The energy with which I approach life can be carried over into a classroom that students will enjoy. However, my main reasons for wanting to become a middle grades teacher are personal. My second reason for choosing a middle grades teaching career is because of my experiences in middle school. I had a teacher who tried with everything she could to fail me in the seventh grade. Had it not been for the encouragement (and straight A’s) that I received from her team teacher, she might have succeeded. With an obvious disgust for school, I returned in the eighth grade to one of the best teams that I had ever seen. They brought me back to the love of school that I had always had; I enjoyed my classes, my teachers, and was eager to learn. I have always thought that it is amazing the hold that one teacher could have had over me if it would not have been for the other teachers. Because of that, I want to make sure that I do everything that I can to be the one teacher that carries a child through when they need help as my teachers did for me. My third reason for wanting to be a middle grades teacher is also personal. My husband was a push-out.  Although he is one of the smartest men that I know, he does not have that little piece of paper that says he has completed the requirements for graduation. While he has successfully managed his own company for 6 years now, he could not get a “normal” job in most cases because he does not have a diploma. His problems started similar to mine, but he did not have the other teacher to lean on. I do not think that any child should be subjected to that type of treatment. All too often, teachers do not realize the influence that they cast over the life of a child. I want to be the “other” teacher, confidant, and friend that students can depend on.

                As for my personal life, Jon and I enjoy being a “newly-wed” couple and spend as much time together as our hectic lives allow us to. We do not have any children, but plan to start trying when I graduate. We spend most of our free time working on his race car. He has raced on asphalt (Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway) but is currently racing on dirt at East Lincoln Speedway. We are also working on small renovations in our house and are building a garage. I love to garden, can home grown foods, and read, but rarely have time to devote to them. I must say- I have been blessed with a great life, a loving family, and wonderful friends.