CT -RESPONSE ONE
Hey everyone! My name is …….and I’m originally from ……., but now I live in ………. I’ve been in education for 10 years—currently teaching kindergarten during the school day and working as an administrator for our aftercare and summer programs. I’ve been in that admin role for 5 summers and two full years in aftercare. I’ve also worked in two different districts and under several different admin teams, so I’ve definitely seen a variety of leadership styles.
Building strong relationships and using research-based instruction are the most important parts of what I do. If we’re not connecting with our kids or teaching them in ways that are proven to work, then we’re not doing our best for them.
I’m married, we’ve got two wild and sweet boys—Baker and Beau—and a dog who thinks he’s a third kid. Life is busy but full of love and chaos in the best way. A random fun fact: I’m the youngest of three, and my brothers were already in college when I was born. I was the “oops” baby, but I like to say I saved the best for last!
I’m in my second term of this degree program and really interested in curriculum topics, which is why I’m excited about this class. I’m hoping to get a better grasp on the theories behind curriculum and maybe narrow down a topic for my thesis.
I haven’t traveled much outside of family vacations or sporting events, but living at the beach definitely makes it easier to stay close to home. My biggest aspirations are just to be a good mom, wife, and educator. Long-term, I’d love to work as a school administrator, maybe teach at the college level, or even get involved with the state department of education.
Something that’s really stood out to me lately is how states are shifting toward the science of reading and putting more focus on evidence-based instruction. It’s exciting to see real changes happening in the curriculum world.
CT Response two
I am ……, and I currently live in ……… I am a career changer after early retirement, I found that I still have a lot to give, so I am just starting the long process towards the doctoral degree. I am a mother of 2 boys (30, 19) and a 19-month-old granddaughter. I received my master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercy College in New York, I am also a Licensed Pharmacy Technician. I am currently a student in the Doctor of Curriculum and Instruction program. I am really excited about this program, and all I will learn about my future aspirations includes obtaining a Doctorate degree from this institution. I feel that having this degree will help me within any organization. I believe the concept of curriculum refers to the set of courses, coursework, and content that is offered at an educational institution.
I am interested in the Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction program because of my 19-year-old special needs son Matthew. I retired as a director of hospital admissions, human resources in 2017 to provide one-on-one education for Matthew. He is a child with ADHD as well as being on the Spectrum, I see exactly what having an IEP and a 504 means to a special needs child. He is homeschooled (online), entering the 12th grade this year, and as his learning coach, I am acutely aware of the importance of the field of Curriculum and Instruction and how it focuses on how people learn and how to improve the educational experience.
I have always had a passion for teaching and making a positive impact on students’ lives, but have not expressed this urge outside of my own children. Still, after COVID, I see that teachers and other educational staff quit their jobs, and I see there is a need that will make me a strong candidate for this academic program. I am particularly interested in the program’s emphasis on research-based instructional strategies and its focus on meeting the diverse needs of the children. I am excited to learn how to design an effective, culturally responsive method that is accessible to all students, especially for special needs children.
CI Response one
Hello! My name is ….and , ……. I am currently serving as the Deputy Superintendent at the …..County Office of Education and have been in the field for about 30 years. Although I work with a variety of departments, Educational Services is my true passion. One of the programs I oversee is Teacher Induction, which provides support to teachers in their first two years of teaching. Working with new teachers as they begin their careers is so rewarding and is one of the reasons I decided to pursue my doctorate. I hope to possibly move into higher education to teach our aspiring teachers before they enter their careers.
As a county office, we serve students in the entire county by providing resources and training to teachers, administrators and parents. We also operate alternative education programs for students who have not been successful in the comprehensive setting or have been involved in the juvenile justice system. In addition, we run several regional special education programs, including a preschool, low-incidence team (deaf/hard of hearing, visual impairment, etc.) and services for our rural schools. Despite the picture many people have about California, we have a large number of very small, rural school districts. In our county, we have two schools with one teacher teaching grades TK-8 and three others that have only two classrooms for all grade levels. Because they have such a small staff, we provide support in the areas most district offices would normally serve.
On a more personal level, my husband and I have four daughters, all of whom are grown. My youngest is graduating from college in two weeks and will be returning home for a year as she applies to medical school. The others live in Michigan and Oregon, so we do quite a bit of traveling to see them. In addition, my oldest daughter just had our first grandchild in October, so we’re proud grandparents!
In my free time (of which I have very little!) I like to go running with our dog, Kobe, or sit outside in our garden reading. I also sit on the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Board in our county and am part of a few other volunteer organizations, which is fun.
SLE response one
Here’s a little about me. I’m originally from ……, spent 30 years in ….. and now call Dauphin Isl….., my home. Living out in the Gulf of America has been an incredible experience over the past nine years. When I first moved here, friends worried about hurricanes, but I like to say I live right at the crossroads of Mother Ocean and Mother Nature, always in their grand battle.
My career has been a rich tapestry of various industries, including equestrian sports, agriculture, education, and even wedding consulting. At 46, I decided to return to academia to pursue my passion for psychology. I completed my studies at Ole Miss and ……i College, obtaining a terminal degree in counseling and psychology. Since then, I’ve been a licensed professional counselor in private practice for 20 years. Working with inpatient populations, including the criminally insane, has been among the most rewarding and fascinating experiences of my professional life. Since moving to ……, I’ve also taught at the college level, both in-person and online.
On the personal side, I have three sons (ages 45, 40, and 28). Some of my fondest memories are of the years we traveled non-stop, showing Quarter Horses. We lived in a custom horse trailer, spent long hours on the road, and competed every weekend. Parenting took an unexpected turn when I married and became a stepmother to his 12-year-old son. It was a joy to build a bond with a child unused to having a “woman in the house.” My stepson and I are remarkably close; his apartment is in the courtyard beside my practice.
My goals for this class are rooted in strengthening my understanding of lower-level education, as I’ve mainly taught college students in recent years. A poignant memory that reflects gaps in education was encountering a college student who believed Auschwitz was a social media hoax and spent his weekend “proving” it. This experience showed me that some challenges students face in higher education might stem from earlier gaps in the school curriculum.
A fun fact about me is that I attended my first two universities on rodeo scholarships! I competed in barrel racing, goat tying, and breakaway roping. I was also Mississippi State’s first rodeo queen, a role that allowed me to travel, recruit high school students, and promote scholarship opportunities. My love of horses passed naturally to my sons, who grew up riding and competing like me.
Looking ahead, my passion drives me toward returning full-time to academia, particularly teaching at the doctoral level. While I currently train future counselors, I feel a deep pull toward the classroom, especially to enhance and bring credibility to the online counseling curriculum.
SLE Response two
Hi, my name is ……, and I live in ……. I work full-time as an analyst at a large U.S. technology company and part-time at a local ….., teaching first aid, firearms, defensive tactics, and physical fitness. I am pursuing a doctorate in education; this class will only be my eighth taken in the doctorate program at CSU (I think; it all runs together!), so there is definitely a lot of coursework and dissertation work remaining. It one hundred percent feels like a marathon and not a sprint.
I am taking coursework at CSU as I am interested in using the degree to incorporate technology education into law enforcement training, specifically, how best to develop cybercrime expertise among local law enforcement personnel. This could be cultivated in basic recruit training while students are in the academy or in-service training for sworn personnel. Due to the globalization of the Internet and ease of access to cyberspace, particularly in most areas of the U.S., local law enforcement agencies need to be familiar with technology to investigate multiple aspects of technology crimes effectively.
For this course, I look forward to learning more about P-12 schools and how they operate within the ethics and legal requirements framework. My educational instruction background has only focused on adult education, so this is a relatively new topic for me within this subject matter. I look forward to engaging with you all during this class!
DE response one
My name is ….., and I’m originally from …… but currently live in …….. I am a pre-k teacher in the ……..County School System and currently in my sixth year of teaching. Although I have experience in other grade levels, I love teaching Pre-K because I’m the first to set the foundation of education and become one of their first teachers during their time in school. It’s always a joy to hear and see students and parents be excited when their child is now writing, identifying letters and sounds, counting, and reading sight words while in pre-k. I aim to obtain my doctorate and pursue a career as a principal or superintendent. I love to travel, try new restaurants, attend concerts, and sports games! If everything goes as planned, I will graduate with my Ed.D. in 2026!! I’m excited about this course and can’t wait to work with you all.
DE Response two
My name is ……. and I currently hold a …….and a ………. I am an internationally Certified Bloodstain Pattern Analyst and Certified Crime Scene Analyst and I travel worldwide consulting on criminal and civil cases, as well as teaching law enforcement, forensic specialists, and military forensics and bloodstain pattern analysis. I am also Curriculum Lead Faculty for Forensics and Criminal Justice at CSU and an adjunct professor and subject matter expert at 5 other universities. Before opening my firm, I worked at a law enforcement agency in central west Florida, where I was a forensic investigator and human remains detection (cadaver) K9 handler. I have been in the forensics field for 10 years and at CSU since 2021. I have been fortunate enough to be utilized as a forensics expert for various news outlets and television series, such as The Real CSI Miami. My family and I love to travel and any second we can we hop on a flight or a boat! Our life focuses on making memories for my three girls (9, 5, and 2).
I look forward to engaging with everyone throughout the course and hearing your perspectives, experiences, viewpoints, and even opinions on the variety of subjects we will cover. I decided to get a 2nd doctoral degree to expand my knowledge in education, which is directly applicable to (one) of my current roles.
