Hobbies and interests
Crafting
Cheerleading
Reading
Education
I read books multiple times per month
Emma Silverburg
565
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FinalistEmma Silverburg
565
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FinalistBio
Hi! I'm Emma and I am an Early Childhood and Special Education major! I currently am completing my bachelors degree at Mercyhurst University. Following graduation I hope to teach first grade general education. Along with this I plan to get my masters degree online at SUNY Fredonia. I also have my own business called Emazing designs where I create custom tumblers, key chains, and clothing. I love this as it allows me to show my creative side while helping me support the cost of college!
Education
Mercyhurst University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
- Special Education and Teaching
GPA:
3.8
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Education
Dream career goals:
First Grade Teacher
Assistant Teacher
Carpe Diem Academy2021 – 20221 yearWaitress
The Dinner Bell2016 – Present8 years
Sports
Cheerleading
Varsity2011 – 20165 years
Awards
- Captain
Research
- Present
Arts
High School
TheatreGrease - Character: Jan2019 – 2020
Public services
Advocacy
Laker Leader — member2021 – Present
Future Interests
Advocacy
Andrea Tyrah DeBruhl Memorial Scholarship for Future Teachers
As a future educator I understand the importance of child safety. In my experience I have seen teachers spend recess sitting back talking to other educators while their class has their free time. While this is a time for students to have more freedom, it is our job to ensure they play safely. I think all schools should re-evaluate their playgrounds to ensure all objects are safe for all grade levels.
Growing up, my elementary school had two playgrounds. One was designed for grades K-4, while the other was designed for grades 5th and 6th. The 5th and 6th grade playground included simply bars. There were no swings or slides; just bars. This was because the playground was designed for climbing only. Personally, this was an unsafe choice as teachers were not fully watching their children and climbing can result in multiple injury. In fact, my class had a student fall from a bar and injure himself so severely he almost died (due to a previous heart condition that was activated due to the fall). This is just one example of many of accidents that occurred on that playground alone.
As a teacher now I would suggest making recess rules to ensure students safety such as not jumping from swings, signing out equipment, and creating a signal for when to stop and listen. Along with rules I think a key piece is to have teachers be involved in recess. Teachers should engage with their students whether it may be playing wood chips, tag, etc. Even a game of kickball or basketball is enjoyable for all ages. Plus, I feel students enjoy the games more when their teacher plays with them. This also allows educators to keep an eye out for possible accidents while getting to build a stronger connection to their students. As a teachers I would also take a walk through the playground before the school begins or as it just begins to alert the school of any possible unsafe equipment or spaces. I recommend all educators do this as that can also help them create their recess rules and possibly create playground games for their class to better ensure their safety. Another strategy I will implement is communicating with fellow educators to plan recess times together. This way we can have multiple supervisors to watch over students for potential injury. We can also work together to stop students from disobeying rules. Overall I think schools should spend time meeting and discussing a playground plan to ensure students of all grade levels are receiving quality play time with ensured safety.