Mercedes Holets graduated from 西顿希尔大学 with an undergraduate degree in 基础教育与特殊教育 in 2020. 利用西顿·希尔的优势 fastforwar程序在美国，霍尔茨得以带着两个女儿再次毕业 M.Ed. 创新教学 和一个 适应性在线教学证书 in 2021. 到2021-2022学年为止, Holets was hired for a full-time in-person teaching position with Elizabeth Forward School District. She credits her success to Seton Hill’s rigorous 教育 and well-rounded liberal arts curriculum. Holets shared her thoughts on finishing both her undergraduate and graduate degrees and finding a job she loves in the midst of a global pandemic. 

你为什么选择西顿希尔大学读本科?

I chose Seton Hill based on the welcoming atmosphere I felt as soon as I stepped onto campus as a senior in high school. When it came to my 教育, I wanted to be more than a number to my professors. The professors at Seton Hill cared about my future aspirations and got to know each student that walked into their classrooms. These relationships created a close-knit community, which made Seton Hill my home away from home. 除了, 当班级规模较小的时候, 这导致了一种更加个性化的教育方法. This played a critical role in my decision to attend this wonderful university because I believe it led to my successes today. 

是什么让你选择了教育专业?

在我探索职业道路的这些年里, 我很想进入商业/会计领域, but what made me change my mind was a Pre-K summer program job that was offered to me going into my senior year of high school. 那个夏天, I learned that my true passion was to become a teacher when I built a relationship with a student who was non-verbal. 沟通是建立师生关系的关键, 但是在这种情况下, all this child needed was someone with patience who understood his non-verbal cues. 就是在那些时刻，我知道我想成为一名教育家, 从那时起, I have made hundreds of connections with students across multiple grade levels. 我选择主修 教育 at Seton Hill because I wanted to leave a permanent impact on each child I would come across. 开学第一天，你的学生像陌生人一样走进来. 他们会像你的孩子一样离开. 

It’s really impressive that you graduated with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in about a year! Can you tell me more about your experience as an undergraduate student at Seton Hill and how that paved the way for your graduate degree? 

当我还是学生教师的时候, I taught at Central Elementary School in the Elizabeth Forward School District. 我在一年级的课堂上获得了经验, 然后是三至五年级的特殊教育教室. It was during my rotation in the special 教育 classroom that COVID-19 changed how the school year would pan out. 虽然结局不像我计划的那样, 我可以通过Zoom在线继续我的学生教学经验. I started taking graduate classes during my undergraduate studies with Seton Hill’s fastforwar程序. This gave me a jump start on my master’s degree before I even earned my bachelor’s. 

从本科生到研究生再到全职工作，你的道路是怎样的? 

I started student teaching at Elizabeth Forward School District during my senior year of undergrad. 学生教学后, Elizabeth Forward called me and asked if I would like to interview for a long-term substitute position. After two rounds of interviews, I got the position to teach fifth grade English Language Arts. 由于新冠肺炎疫情，该职位已上线. 当这个职位结束时, I interviewed again for a full-time fourth grade position that was also online. 经过四轮面试，我得到了这个职位. 2020-2021学年是一个挑战, but nothing could stop me as I was prepared with the 教育 that I received at Seton Hill. 本学年(2021-2022), I got a position teaching fifth grade English Language Arts at Central Elementary School in the Elizabeth Forward School District. I could not love teaching in-person more, compared to being online, for my first year of teaching!

"My master’s in innovative instruction allowed me to flourish within my technology-driven district"

What effect has earning your Master’s of Education 创新教学 had on your career?  

我的本科学位为我的教学生涯打下了坚实的基础, but my master’s degree gave me the stepping stones to reach a new level of concentrated understanding. My master’s in innovative instruction allowed me to flourish within my technology-driven district by providing me with a multitude of resources and new learning skills. This allowed me to take more risks with integrating technology into the classroom, because I was taught how to fully integrate it in all content areas for learning. 

作为一名教育工作者，你的日常生活是怎样的?

我以准备一天的工作开始一天的工作, uploading my playlists to Canvas and checking in with the other fifth grade teacher, 谁教数学和科学课程. We discuss any concerns we have to ensure our day runs as smoothly as possible. 与你的年级团队建立密切的关系是必不可少的. As the students begin to flood the hallways, attendance and lunch count are completed. Then the day of teaching begins with two classes of Reading and two classes of Writing Composition instruction. 随着学校一天的结束, I meet up with my colleague to discuss the day and what needs to be addressed for the next day. The day ends with looking at student data to drive my instruction and to prepare for the coming week’s lessons. 

哇，听起来教书让你很忙! 你在空闲时间都做些什么? 

我周末在隐谷度假村教滑雪课. 如你所见，教书是我真正的爱好!

你在西顿希尔的教育对你现在的职业生涯有何帮助?

西顿·希尔在几个方面为我成为一名教育者做好了准备. 教授们真心希望他们的学生成功. Each professor integrates authentic learning opportunities to get you ready for your chosen field. 在为我的教学生涯做准备的情况下, the professors had a depth of knowledge that allowed me to take the content that we read in class and relate it to the real world. 最后, 通过接受文科教育, I am truly a more well-rounded educator in the classroom and as an individual.