Hello everyone, my name is Laurel Anderson. I attend Athens State University as a junior, majoring in English Language Arts with an Education minor. I am 33 years old, and I have been married to my husband for 11 years. We have four beautiful children, Dallas, Elijah, Noah and Emma Kate. They have been the focus of my life for many years now and I have been lucky to stay home and care for them full time for the last 7 years.

I recently started substitute teaching at the high school in our town and I have realized that my calling is teaching. I have fallen in love with the environment that comes with teaching teenagers and I want to contribute to that feeling. My husband and I made the decision that it was time for me to go back to school and finish what I longed for. I did change my major from Music Education to English Literature with a minor in Education but my main goal has always been to be an educator. 

While I have been out of high school now for 15 years, I have never forgotten my English teachers I had throughout my years. Our small high school is made up of grade levels 7-12, so I had more than just a couple years with each teacher. When I think about the kind of teacher I want to be, I know that I must strive to be like these ladies who taught me not only grammar and how to construct a paper but how to connect with and care for their students. 

As I begin my journey in Foundation of Education, I hope to look at this journal as a growth chart for becoming my future educator self. I believe this course to be crucial in helping me become the best inspirational teacher I can be.