I have learned a lot throughout my first semester at The Ohio State University. Not only have I learned content in my classes, but I have learned a lot about myself. Ohio State has given me the opportunity to be in the classroom and work with children early on in my program. I joined two clubs that helped me achieve this, Adopt-A-School and STEM Outreach. Through Adopt-A-School I was able to be in a classroom for one hour every week. I went to Graham Elementary and Middle School and spent my time in a fifth grade science classroom. This opportunity helped me figure out that I really did want to become a teacher, but that I would like to work with older students. I learned a lot about how students react to certain situations. I also learned how to help students deal with problems that they faced during group work. Throughout the semester, I got a lot better at tutoring the students and making connections with them. STEM Outreach allows students at Ohio State to work with students of all age groups and is not always done in a classroom setting. I also packed the kits for STEM Outreach to take to use during their programs. This helped me learn about different science and engineering projects I could possibly use with my future students. It also helped me learn about project based learning. I enjoyed watching the students get excited about the project and what they were learning about. Overall, this semester has helped me figure out that I did choose the right major. I will get to teach a subject that I love to students grades 7-12 and I am very excited to spend more time in a classroom setting next semester.
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Involvement Opportunity: College of Education and Human Ecology Recruitment Leader
In my survey class one day we had speakers talk about how we can be more involved with the College of Education and Human Ecology here at Ohio State even as freshmen. This is something that I have been wondering about ever since I met my peer mentor who seems to be involved in everything. I learned that I can become a recruitment leader for the college. As a recruitment leader I would be able to help prospective students make a decision on whether or not Ohio State would be a good fit for them by sending them post cards, calling them, or being at Q&A sessions held throughout the year. I remember how helpful it was to have someone I felt comfortable with to ask all of the questions I had about Ohio State last year. I have always been passionate about helping others and am now interested in becoming a recruitment leader and plan on getting involved with recruitment in the Spring Semester.
Adopt-A-School
I am part of a club called Adopt-A-School. As a member of this club, I get paired with a teacher at one of the local schools in the Columbus area. I was placed at Graham Elementary and Middle School in a fifth grade science class. I help tutor and mentor these students every Tuesday for an hour at a time. I joined this club because I wanted to spend as much time in classrooms as I could. There is one specific Tuesday that really stands out to me. I went into the classroom and was asked to take four students into the hallway to help them work on their assignment about the solar system. I was not sure what to expect because I don’t know the students very well. At the beginning of the period I was nervous because I have never been in charge of students and their learning by myself. The students were not the most eager to learn and I struggled keeping them on task. However, about halfway through the period I told myself that I am in charge of these students and how much they will learn while I am there. I ended up connecting with the students and figuring out what they liked most about the solar system and got each of them to work hard and finish a lot of what they were assigned. By the end of the period, the students were excited about what they learned and wanted to tell me everything. This experience made me much more confident and excited for my future in the classroom. I now know that I can really affect students and help them discover new things, along with a greater love for learning.
About Me
Hello! My name is Peyton Morgan and I am from Minerva, Ohio. I am a third year student at the Ohio State University pursuing a degree in STEM Education with a specialization in Mathematics and a minor in Human Nutrition. I am passionate about helping others as much as I can, especially in the area of education.
I am a member of the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars Program. I joined this program with the goal of learning about different STEM fields and how math is used in them. I hope learning this will allow me to better help my future students and answer the questions, “why am I learning this” and “how is this used in the real world”. During my freshman year, I joined the Leadership Council as the Mentor Group Activities Coordinator. My job is to make the program feel like a community and get students of all years working together! I was also a Teaching Assistant for the program my sophomore year and got to help in our seminar class. I love being able to interact with the first year students and help them get used to campus and college life!
I am currently a co-Social Chair of Kappa Phi Kappa, the professional education fraternity on campus. This organization has allowed me to meet other education majors, learn about and participate in community service, talk to HR directors, and participate in many other professional development events. I am also a Small Group Coordinator involved in CHAARG, a student organization that promotes fitness, specifically for females. I have a group of girls that I get to help find what they enjoy about fitness and learn new ways to workout! I am also currently a tutor at the Math and Stats Learning Center on campus and I tutor College Algebra, Precalculus, Business Calculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2. I enjoy this job and working with students in this class. I hope that this will help prepare me to be a teacher in the future.
My long-term goal is to be a math teacher who can help my students excel not only in math, but in other areas of life as well. I believe that my combined experiences during my time at the Ohio State University will help prepare me to be the best that I can be. I hope to be a good leader who can help students prepare for life after high school.