*4th Grade Teacher*
By: BHS Staff Profiles
March 8, 2024
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Emily Wendling. This is currently her third year teaching in the Brooklyn City School District. Right out of college, she was a substitute teacher in Medina, Cuyahoga, and Stark Counties. As for her first teaching job, she worked at a behavior school in Lorain. She then taught at a charter school in Parma for four years before coming to Brooklyn. In her free time, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, playing with her dog and four cats, completing puzzle games with her family, and renovating her house with her husband. She is also trying to travel more. One fun fact about Mrs. Wendling is that she grew up in Illinois and did not move to Ohio until she was an adult.
Q: What strategies do you use to create a positive learning environment in the classroom?
A: “I like to start the year by getting to know each of my students and building that connection with them. Throughout the year, I continue to build a rapport with my students. I then try to incorporate their interests into my lessons and classroom.”
Q: How do you ensure that all students are engaged and participating in class activities?
A: “I am a very hands-on teacher. I work hard to build a relationship with all of my students, so they can feel comfortable asking for help as well as participating in class. I enjoy letting students have time to collaborate, which then allows me to see how my students both interact with their classmates along with the material.”
Q: What is your favorite part about teaching?
A: “I enjoy seeing my students grow into individuals as well as seeing them be able to grasp concepts they previously struggled with.”
Q: What do you think is the most important skill for a fourth-grade student to learn?
A: “I feel the one skill that will help my fourth graders be successful in life is knowing that it is okay to ask for help and that making a mistake is part of learning. It is all about how to be in a situation and what to take from that situation.”
Q: What gets you up in the morning?
A: “My adorable fur babies and their excitement in the morning, along with a nice cup of coffee.”
Q: Who inspires you?
A: “My mom inspires me. She is the most nurturing woman I know. She loves her family more than anything. She has always been there for my brothers and me throughout all of our struggles in life. She has shown me through her relationship with her mother how no matter what, that bond of a mother and a child is always there. I hope to be as wonderful of a mother as she is one day. Besides being there for others, my mom is a very wise and creative person. She is always there to talk as well as listen. She is full of ideas and loves to share them to make life better. She shows me every day how to look at life positively and grow from my experiences. I love my mom, and she is my hero.”
Q: Do you have a favorite memory?
A: “I have recently gotten married, and my wedding day was one of the best memories of my life, thus far. I got to marry my best friend, surrounded by all the people who I love.”
Q: Are you a coffee or tea person?
A: “I enjoy both, but I like to start my day with coffee (with a lot of creamer), and I like to have tea later in the day.”
Mrs. Wendling, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all of the best throughout the rest of this school year. Congratulations on your recent marriage, too.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 