An Educational Start
Hi, I’m Veronica George. I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, where I attended a career technology center for cosmetology and two universities. Ever since I was in primary school, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I remember playing school with the kids from my neighborhood and being the strictest teacher with my two cousins and sister. I was in the second or third grade when I taught lessons to my younger cousins and sister. I would make them sit very still and even used a ruler on their hand if they stated the wrong answer. Oh, no! Those after school play school dates prepared me for my teaching career. I learned about lesson planning and classroom management. My mother and two of her sisters were elementary teachers. In addition, my grandmother worked as a teacher in Hazard, Kentucky and later as a school librarian after her kids became adults. After being in the classroom for decades, one aunt became the principal of an elementary school. Teaching is in my blood.
I can remember countless car discussions among my mother and her sisters about the superintendent, principal, and classroom teachers. As a kid and teenager, I understood school politics and the major changes within the school district because of those car discussions. I learned how to study from my mother handing me a homework logbook from her school that explained the SQ3R strategy. I began grading papers in middle school, and I visited my mother’s classroom once a year. I usually visited her room on her annual picnic day or the last day of school. I was so proud of my family of teachers. It was an honor to follow in their footsteps.
Weird Things in Middle School
While in middle school, my language arts teacher, Mrs. Beavers, saw an author in me. She would make us write in our journal daily. One day during class, she announced that she had to read a journal entry because it was so well written. I sat in my seat and attentively listened. My teacher was reading my journal entry. I wanted to melt from embarrassment. After she read the entry, she announced that “Veronica had written the entry.” She invited me to the writing contest Power of the Pen. Mrs. Beavers sparked the writer in me, and I would practice my craft daily, writing a romance novel about the 1990s bad boys band, Jodeci. My mother supported my dreams and bought me an electrical typewriter.
Making Decisions for My Future
At the age of 16, I had a few passions: writing, reading, music, boys, and cosmetology. In the home economics class, there was a career component where we researched careers and colleges. I knew I wanted to be a writer, so I began researching colleges with journalism majors. My mom attempted to discourage me from teaching, but I knew that I loved teaching. I also knew that I loved cosmetology. Since I was a child, I did my cousins’ and sister’s hair. In the summer of my sophomore year, there was an opportunity to attend the local county Career Technology Center. During the school’s pitch, they stated that students were able to go to college. That was it for me! I applied, and I attended the school. My dream was to do hair on campus while attending school, and I did!
A Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Waste
After high school, I attended my family’s alma mater, Wilberforce University. It is a very small school that was founded in 1865 by former slaves and located thirty minutes away from home. Since my mother had graduated from Wilberforce, she was very supportive and proud that I had attended the university. My major was Secondary Education: Literature. I worked hard and, at one time, attended three universities at the same time to complete the teaching program. In 2002, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, and I earned my teaching certificate. I began working in the same district as my mother, and they offered a program to earn a master’s degree in Special Education. I applied and was accepted, and in 2006, I earned a degree in Special Education. I continued to attend school to earn my principal’s license, and in 2009, I earned it.
“I’m Not a Writer Who Teaches. I’m a Teacher Who Writes”-Maya Angelou
Two of my greatest professional accomplishments in teaching were earning an Accomplished Teacher on my annual evaluation (2016) and earning my Ohio Master License accreditation in spring 2017. I began this blog to help other teachers learn how to incorporate Marzano’s strategies within their class and to keep a living record on how I used them within my classroom. In 2018, I applied for a Teacher Leader (similar to a curriculum coach) position in my district, and I had an interview. Although I did not obtain the position, I was more determined to begin this blog as a portfolio of my work. I know this blog could provide a path to publishing my book for new teachers due to the content and my experiences in the teaching field. My ultimate professional goal with blogging is to publish pieces of work and perform professional development classes on the topic of teaching.
When I’m not teaching or working on my blog, I am spending quality time with my daughter. She is in the second grade, and she wants to be a teacher, baker, and doctor. She will be the third generation to enter the education field. Once a week, we share a meal with my mom, the former educator. I love to travel and spend time with my sorority sisters. We try twice a year to reconnect in one of the cities in Ohio. As you have read, I have been passionate about writing and teaching from a very young age. I am so happy that I have combined two of my passions through this blog.
