Electronic Portfolio of Jeremy Duley
July 2003
My name is Jeremy Duley. I have spent four years in the Secondary Education Department of Montana State University - Bozeman. I am majoring in the Social Studies Broadfield Option of the Secondary Education Department and minoring in History. I am originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, but I have come to love the Bozeman area from my time spent here and have moved to the area permanently. I love to be here in Bozeman because of all the opportunities a person has to spend time outdoors mountain biking, playing Ultimate Frisbee, etc. You get the idea.
I have always wanted to be a teacher, but when I was in high school I was talked out of it because everyone, including my own teachers, said that they weren't paid enough. I bought into the idea that money was the only thing that mattered. I went to school for engineering for a year and didn't like it. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to teach. Money doesn't matter a whole lot to me. I just want to help whoever walks through the classroom door to be as excited about learning as I am and to help kids grow up in a manner that does not promote violence, drugs, or alcohol.
I don't necessarily have a philosophy about teaching. I believe that teachers have an important role in a child's life. Teachers can give students either a good or bad impression on how to take, and more importantly, use their education. In my experience, how a teacher interacts with their students is a vitally important aspect of this process. A teacher needs to be caring and understanding and teach about more than just their subject matter, they need to teach about life. When a teacher cares about and listens to the concerns of their students, they gain the respect of the students. When this happens, the classroom becomes a priceless learning tool for everyone, including the teacher. I have always thought that when a person stops learning, they can no longer teach.
I have always had a fascination with history. All through high school and now college, it has been my favorite subject. I find it amazing that we can look back at what has happened in the past and learn from it and constantly improve the human race if we choose to. I want to give students the same excitement that I have and change some minds that history has to be boring. I believe that a teacher can make history come to life right in the classroom. A couple of past teachers of mine have done this and I would like to do the same. I believe that projects and hands-on learning are some of the best ways to learn history. I plan to use at least two or three projects a semester dealing with different time periods.
The purpose of my electronic portfolio is to give anyone interested in me personally, professionally, or otherwise an easily accessible look at who I am and what I believe in. The main focus of this page is my desire to become a teacher. It will also give prospective employers an idea of who I am and a peek into my personal life if they may be looking at hiring me.
