Ashley Burton

This is me on a road trip to my favorite place: Garrett County, I love Water Falls!

Hi! My name is Ashley Burton!

A little bit about me...

I love the outdoors! I'm a real tree huggin' dirt worshiper, in the flesh! I love to go hiking and camping. But my favorite thing is swimming! I love anything with the water really...sailing, tubing, snorkling, and of course swimming. It's one of the reasons I choose to go to ODU, because it's so close to the ocean.

I'm enrolled in the education program at Old Dominion University. I'm studying to be a middle school teacher and can't wait to start teaching! I get my inspiration from my mother, who is a high school biology teacher...and who recently just went back to school and got her masters in technology in the classroom.

This is my Mom, Dad and littlest Sister Jo-Pie while camping out at Garrett County!

Family is a very important and big part of my life. I have two younger sisters; Sarah who is a Sophmore attending the University of Mary Washington and Johanna who will be a freshman in high school next year, are a big part of who I am and what makes me...ME!

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Me and Jo-Pie in our life jackets aboard the cruise ship, Empress of the Seas!

My Philosophy of Education

I strongly believe that teachers have a responsibility to our children, to educate them in the best way they know how, giving each child the tools necessary to acheive their goals. As teachers we need to prepare ourselves for students of all shapes and sizes. Each child is unique and should be treated as such. While one child may learn through one method of teaching it is important to remember that another child may need a different approach to fully grasp the knowlegde. I want to teach students to love to learn. That way they can continue their education through out life on their own. A good teacher realizes that learning is never over and continues to learn through out his/her life...thereby teaching their students that they learn something from them as well. I hope to teach students, truely teach them...I want them to absorb what they are learning, not simply be able to regurgitate it for an SOL. As a teacher in the 21st century, it's important to keep up with technology, and to utilize it in my classroom, both to assist my teaching as well as the children's learning. I hope to teach my students in a unique way, utilizing my creativity to reach students through such tools as technology, teamwork and cooperation, and even music. I want my classroom to be a source of learning but also a place of trust and respect. I want all of my students to feel that they have the ability to learn, if they put forth the effort, then the outcome (a good grade) will show the evidence of that hardwork. I believe that students earn their grades that grades aren't passed out. Children are our future, they should be taught in a way that allows them to make inteligent decisions and that will give them the tools nessecary to succeed in life.