On March 24, Miss Keen joined Mrs. Palerino in the classroom as a student teacher. She will remain at Hamburg until May 16. Miss Keen is originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania and attended Scranton High School. While in high school, she participated in Show Choir and Spirit Club.
Miss Keen is currently studying at Kutztown University and majoring in secondary English education with a dual certification in Special Education and a minor in Literature. She has known that she has wanted to be a teacher since she was five years old. She notes, “My kindergarten teacher picked me to lead our morning routine one day, and I’ve known I wanted to teach ever since.” It was not until further on in her K-12 education that she decided on English, as her English teachers were always her biggest advocates. As for Special Education, it was included with her program at Kutztown, which she was not aware of initially. She was hesitant at first and even considered dropping that part of the program, but decided that it would not impact her negatively to have the credentials and continued the program. Miss Keen comments, “I fell in love with Special Education as I moved through the program to the point that it does not matter to me if I end up in English or Special Ed for the rest of my career. I enjoy them both equally!”
During her time at Hamburg, Miss Keen is required to do anything that Mrs. Palerino is responsible for in the classroom, aside from her AP Literature and Composition course. Her responsibilities include taking attendance, teaching the classes, planning and developing lessons, and grading. So far, Miss Keen really loves it here at Hamburg, noting, “I wake up excited to come here everyday. People are starting to warm up to me a little bit more, which is really nice and exciting!” Hamburg is her first official English placement as a student teacher. Her last placement was for Special Education, so she is looking forward to working with Mrs. Palerino and her English classes.
Mrs. Palerino is also experiencing a first, as she has not had a student teacher before. She is looking forward to working with Miss Keen and watching her develop as an educator. Mrs. Palerino comments, “Having people who truly want to work in education is not as prevalent anymore, so I am looking forward to helping her be just as amazing as she can be. I am excited for her to see the good sides of the job and the positives that come with it and that can come out of it.” As Miss Keen spends more time in the classroom, Mrs. Palerino looks forward to learning from her and seeing how students react differently to different teachers and teaching styles. She notes, “I am excited to learn from her, as I believe that you do not ever stop learning. She has already come up with some really creative ideas, and I am looking forward to seeing if they will work out and how the students will react to that.”
In the future, Miss Keen hopes to meet as many students as possible and grow into a teacher that is worthy of great students. As for now, she notes, “I am happy to be a resource to anybody who needs anything. The best teachers are the ones who are there for their students and that’s what I’m trying to be. If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out!”
