Elinor Walker Hannum

1291 Garden City Road Apartment 104C East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (978) 289 7994
E-Mail: walkerrhodes82@gmail.com

I entered second grade with a terrible attitudeI hated school. First grade had hardened
me, and I decided I would never like school. Little did I know everything was about to change.
My second grade teacher was unbelievable. When I was in her classroom I no longer felt lost,
stupid or unwanted. Mrs. Siff is the reason I love school. She believed in every single one of her
students before they even walked into the classroom. Like my grandfather, aunt, and uncle, all
teachers, she had the ability to see potential in each of her students that not everyone saw.
My vision as a teacher is to foster this sense of undeniable confidence in each of my
students. I want my students to leave my classroom the way I left Mrs. Siffs classroom: curious
to learn more, excited to come back tomorrow and confident in my ability to succeed.
There are a variety of experiences in my life that have led me to be a teacher, many of
which can be found on my resume. One of the most important experiences in my journey
towards becoming a teacher has been being an older sister. When I was 3 my baby sister was
born. According to my mother, when she came into the nursery, I had woken my sister from her
nap and picked her up out of the bassinette. My mother was terrified that my clumsy toddler
arms would drop her, but I turned to my mother and told her with complete confidence this is
my baby. Something in my certainty won my mothers confidence.
My role as an older sister has always come naturally to me, and from the beginning I
wanted to embrace the responsibility that comes with it. As I have watched my younger sister
grow up, and as I have thought about my relationship with my older sister, I have realized that
there are three key components to having a full and loving relationship: patience, compassion
and a sense of responsibility. And as I made my way through my elementary education degree
and my years as a varsity athlete, I realized that these three components of my relationship with
my sisters are also important in my boat, in my classroom, and in relationships with my
teammates and my students.
I believe that patience, compassion and a sense of responsibility will help me to create a
relationship with my students like the one I had with my second grade teacher. To me patience
means never leaving a student behind, doing everything in your power to help move your student
to the next step, and never showing frustration. Compassion means taking the time to get to
know each of your students on a personal level and understanding where they might be coming
from. Being prepared for their behavior will negate a lot of conflict. Finally a sense of
responsibility is always being aware of your students and looking out for them. Making sure that
they know you care not only about their performance in class, but also about their well-being.
These experiences as a sister, as a student and as an athlete have shaped my path towards
teaching. In any environment, professional or athletic, a sense of team is imperative for success.
Having been a part of teams that have won, and teams that have lost, the biggest difference is the
ability to work together and respect one another.
I am excited to teach and coach, and I believe I am well-prepared to do so.