And so it begins. . .

Hi! 

My name is Ashley and this is my first time blogging. I find the whole idea of ‘blogging’ my thoughts to the world a little intimidating. However, it is through stepping out of your comfort zone that you learn and grow and I look forward to the journey.

A bit about myself. I am an aspiring Elementary School Teacher and have recently returned to school to pursue my dream. My desire to teach is something that sort of snuck up on me over the years. My first degree is a BSc. in Geography and I have worked for all levels of Government and the private sector over the past 7 years. I worked with children a lot (including as a swim instructor) throughout High School and most of my first degree. However, teaching as a career wasn’t on my radar at the time. I decided to return to school and become a teacher because I want to make a difference in the community. I was blessed to have excellent teachers in my middle and high school years, and their dedication and commitment had a huge impact on my life. I want to be one of those teachers who inspires their students and helps them reach their full potential.

I created Journey Through the Looking Glass as part of my English Language Arts (ELA) for Elementary School Teachers class. Although some entries in this blog will be done as part of the requirements my ELA course, I hope to use the blog as a tool to reflect on my journey towards becoming a teacher.  Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, is a book by Lewis Carroll, and is the sequel to the much loved children’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It is set up as kind of a mirror image to Alice in Wonderland. At the beginning of Through the Looking Glass, Alice ponders what the world is like on the other side of a mirror, and eventually discovers a way to step through the mirror into an alternate world. As an aspiring teacher, I find myself much like Alice. As I take my first steps towards teacherhood, I am learning to see things from a different perspective. Throughout most of my life, I have seen things through the eyes of the student, and now I am learning to see things through the eyes of a teacher. Just like seeing through a looking glass, it is the same world, but a very different perspective.