As a Student, Teacher, and Citizen — Elizabeth Killian

Hi! I am Elizabeth Killian, a Junior at Marquette University studying Elementary Education and Math. I am from New York and have grown to love the Midwest. Since being in Milwaukee and studying at a Catholic Jesuit Institution, I found that I have increasing interests with social justice issues and with community engagement. I have really enjoyed being able to learn about the neighborhood surrounding Marquette, named the Near West Side. I am hoping to be a passionate elementary school teacher, most likely in Milwaukee. Urban teaching is something that I can see myself doing long-term. I really hope to be a truly engaging teacher in which students will be able to not only learn in my classroom, but have fun doing so. It is my goal for my classroom to feel like a home for my students.

As a student, I did not enjoy Social Studies at all. I also dreaded learning about and going to History class in middle school and high school. However, I have been able to see Social Studies in a different light and acknowledge the beauty of the subject that encompasses so much more than just History, within the first two classes of my Teaching Elementary Social Studies course. This class is going to teach me more about Social Studies as a whole, and about the many different methods and ways to teach this all-encompassing subject. My goal is for my students to enjoy Social Studies while learning and growing from my lessons, in a way in which I did not as a student. In one sense, I will benefit from not enjoying the subject as a student because I will be able to understand how some of my students feel if it is not their favorite subject either.

As a citizen, I have a lot of growth to do. I do not follow Politics as much as I should and I do not pay much attention to the news, whether that be locally or globally. History and Social Studies becomes instantly more engaging and interesting when current events are brought into conversation, so I would like to be more aware of what is going on in the United States, as well as in the World, so I will be able to bring that knowledge and conversation into my classroom. This will also allow me to be able to bring in the passion I share for social justice into the classroom. Depending on the age of my students, having the ability to share in deep conversations about the World, will not only enhance their learning, but will build relationships that are necessary for a strong classroom culture. In this way, I will also be able to become a more well-rounded individual by being provided with the opportunity to also learn from my students through conversation. As a person, teacher, and citizen, I will always be a life-long learner.