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Trina Veerkamp

 

n/a

TRINA VEERKAMP

 

Center Grove High School 

SCIENCE 

32 Years of Teaching; 26 Years at Center Grove 

What teaching means to me.......

To me, Teaching is important because I am trying to prepare students for their future. If they remember the specific topic I presented such as Biology or Anatomy, that is great. And I certainly hope they do remember some of it. It is just as important if not more important for them to learn to expect themselves to do their best. I have high expectations and when they meet those I want them to realize what a wonderful job they have done and to have tremendous pride in their work. They need to learn discipline, time management, and how to present themselves. Even though I have those high expectations, I also want them to know that I know there are times when personal things in their lives do allow for exceptions. I want them to know that I will work with them to complete their work when there are things that are just more important right then. I think teaching is important because I want to be a good role model for them. They need to become lifelong learners and I try so hard to show them all kinds of applications to our topics. I want to try to get them to be curious about things and not just let them go. As I said below, I try very hard to make what I do relevant. Students have so many things going on now with phones, internet, technology. They are so busy with all their activities. Therefore, I think teaching is important because I want them to make the connection between what we are doing in any class and what is going on out there in the world. Maybe what we are discussing is not happening to them, but what about a friend, relative, boss, etc. And topics like chemistry and physics are all over the place and not just in the room! Finally, I think teaching is important because I want to make connections with students. I know I cannot connect with everyone. But if I can make a connection, if I can find something we have in common, if we can share a joke, then I am just a person just like them. I absolutely never take myself too seriously in my classroom. I love to share things I have done that are silly or make no sense. Even research has shown, those are the things that last with students! And they can take that with them as they leave my class.