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 Mrs. BELLIVEAU Connie Belliveau Aug 21, 2009
Mrs. CONNIE BELLIVEAU
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Jefferson Co High School
Hometown:
LOUISVILLE, KY
Class Information:
Room Number: 121
Students per Class: 30-35
Class Description:
I teach American Literature to eleventh graders at all levels.
Position:
11th grade English
Needs:
Working in a rural county, we are provided with few extra resources. By upgrading my classroom, I can expose my students to a higher level of technology than they have the opportunity to see in their daily lives.
My Philosophy:
As a teacher, I am conscious on a daily basis that I am influencing my students in a way that could potentially affect them for the rest of their lives. Although I believe in the importance of my content area, I am also aware that it may not be the most important lesson taught in my class on a given day. There is no way for me to know the exact knowledge that my students will require as they go forward in life. Because of this, I feel that the most important goal for me as a teacher is to teach my students how to think. I have used the Socratic method in my classes for years to teach the students that they are capable of coming up with their own answers. Because I teach literature, this method works well. It allows students to see that there are frequently multiple possible answers to a given question. This has inspired my students with the confidence to go out of the box and pursue knowledge for themselves. This puts their education in their own hands. I create the opportunities, but the initiative is all their own. In some ways it would be easier for me follow a more direct approach for both my students and myself. I could dictate the questions, the answers, and my students could simply return them to me. However, my goal is to give my students the power to acquire knowledge throughout their lives. I look for literature with which my students can identify. My greatest joy in teaching is when I can see my students losing themselves in the stories that we study. They come into the room ready to question me, the author, and all aspects of the story. This is when in many ways they have taken control of their own education. This allows me to become a guide through a world of discovery that they have chosen. It never ceases to amaze me how far they are able to take me. I love having them show me new ways to look at things in stories that I have read many times over the years. My students remind me on a daily basis of why I became an educator. They challenge me more than I ever could them. They reward me with the unrestricted joy they show in their success. I truly cannot imagine a more rewarding job.
Personal Information:
College and Degrees:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Graduate School, summer 2008 Postgraduatestudies University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Graduate School, spring 2001- summer 2001 Postgraduatestudies Universityof Tennessee, Knoxville, Graduate School, summer 1995- summer 1996 Master of Science, Curriculum & Instruction, Secondary Teaching Universityof Tennessee, Knoxville, fall 1993- spring 1995 Bachelor of Arts, English Literature Middle Tennessee State University, fall 1992- spring 1993 no degree conferred University of Louisville, spring 1984-fall 1986 no degree conferred
Favorite Books:
Jane Eyre, The Alchemist, To Kill A Mockingbird
Favorite Quotes:
He that respects himself is safe from others. He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Employment History:
Jefferson County High School, August 1996 to present Ninth grade English, Tenth grade English, Eleventh grade English Full time teaching internship, Sevier County High School, August 1995- June 1996 Tenth grade English, Tenth Grade Combined Studies
Why Do I Teach?:
I believe that we all experience turning points in our lives that influence what we become. In my elementary school years I struggled in school. When I was in fourth grade, I was failing after the first grading period. My mother requested that the school test me for learning disabilities. My principal’s name was Mr. Dyer, he had frequently spoken to me about the problems I was having in my classes. He had never seemed judgmental and I had always felt comfortable talking with him. He arranged for me to be tested by a child psychiatrist from the University of Michigan. After several months of testing, I was diagnosed ADHD. In the seventies no one really knew what this was, but Mr. Dyer helped both my parents and me to find the information that we needed to deal with my problems. At the end of the year, Mr. Dyer called me into his office. I will never forget the way I felt when he told me that I had failed fourth grade. He said that he knew that I had been working hard and that he believed that I could turn my life around. He decided to advance me to fifth grade. He was the first educator that showed me the power of belief. When dealing with my students I use that power to motivate them. It is important that students know that their teachers believe that they can achieve great things regardless of what they have done in the past. My second major influence in education was my ninth grade English teacher. Mrs. Barthales was a very creative teacher. She allowed her students to explore themselves through the literature that she taught. She made you feel that she genuinely was interested in what you had to say. In her class I felt welcomed and free to express myself. This positive environment made it a pleasure to learn and I never wanted to miss a day of her class. Her confidence in her own knowledge allowed her to let diverse opinions into her class. This allowed her students to use their minds in ways that they had never done before. Years later when I went to college, I majored in English in large part because of Mrs. Barthales. However, I did not have the confidence in myself to believe that I could become a teacher. After two years, I dropped out of college with no idea of what I wanted to do in life. A year later, I joined the Navy to explore the world. I had no idea at the time that this choice would inspire me to become a teacher. In the military every member is considered a trainer. This attitude encourages you to use your strengths to help others if they are struggling. I found that I had a talent for explaining things in a way that made it easy for people to understand. It made me feel good to know that I could help someone achieve goals that had seemed unachievable. In my years in the Navy, sailors that I trained frequently told me that I should be teacher. When I left the Navy I believed that I could make my greatest contribution to society by becoming a teacher. My failures in life have influenced the way that I teach as much as my successes. I share many of my experiences with my students. I want them to know that a failure does not dictate their potential to be successful in the future. Education did not come easily to me and this creates common ground with many of my students. Many times in my career, students have told me that they would be failures because that is what they have always been. By sharing my experiences with them, I can show them that it is possible to redefine ourselves regardless of what has come before. For many of us, it only takes the sincere encouragement of someone that we respect to believe in ourselves. It has been my privilege to be that person for many of my students.
Percent of Students are:
     At-risk: 20 %
     Average: 50 %
     High-achiever: 10 %
     Special Needs: 20 %
Percent of Students are:
     White/Caucasian : 70 %
     Hispanic: 10 %
     African American: 20 %
Free/Reduced Lunch Program Enrollment:: 40 %
ESL Enrollment:: 10 %
Average number of students in class:: 31 students
Number of students I teach:: 95 students