WHO KATIE IS :)

Hi, my name is Katie Kaiser and I am taking this class as a prereq for fall admission to the multiple subject credential program. I am from San Marcos originally, but when my family moved to Michigan in 98 I went with them. I have a younger brother and sister who are considerably younger than I am and I felt it necessary to be close to them as they grew up. Since my brother and sister and are now in college themselves and doing their own thing, I decided that I would come back to the warm sun and sandy beaches of Cali. I have been back in San Diego a year and a half and I miss my family tons, but happy to be out of the snow:)!! I suppose some would say that I am fortunate to grow up in one town K-12. I went to Woodland Park Elementary, it is now a middle school, San Marcos Jr. High, and San Marcos High School. Most of my friends I have had for over twenty years which can be just as painful as it is delightful:). I went to many colleges, as I transferred several times, but the definite highlights were playing softball at Santa Barbara, and then graduating from Wayne State University in Michigan.

I must say that I do not identify myself as a MAC or PC. To be quite honest, computers intimidate me. I really haven't had to use them that much in my work and if I am not required to I am usually not on it. If it isn't email, word, and .....well let's be honest, those are the only two I am really comfortable with and even then I can always screw up my outlook:). I know that they are important and I know that they offer a ton of value, so I think that sooner rather than later I will just have to give them a big hug and introduce myself. It always amazes me that my friend's son, who is five, can show me things that I don't know. Needless to say, I hope I retain all that we are learning this summer:)!!!

I think that the part of the mission statement that really caught my attention was the commitment to student-centered education. Coming from a psychology background, I feel that it is so important to listen to our kids and tailor learning based on their needs. I think that it is easy to get into a routine and forget that the next year your kids may have completely different needs than the year before. I do believe that it is important to mainstream kids with disabilities as much as possible, and while I know this is a lot of work for our teachers in the regular classroom, I feel it is beneficial for these kids to be in a "normal " setting as often as they can. I am looking forward to diving in and taking a swim. As of today, I think that I would really like to teach in grades 4-6, preferably 6th. I really like that age group and I love that you can talk and joke with them. I love that, especially in 6th, they feel like little adults. They are ready to take on the world and I want to help them explore it.