North Cross School: Fifth-Grade Teacher & Glen Cove Elementary School: Pre-K Instructional Assistant

stepniakbm@hollins.edu       bstepniak@northcross.edu      (540)-397-3960

Welcome, and thank you for viewing my e-portfolio!

I am currently working as a Pre-K instructional assistant at Glen Cove Elementary School and preparing to teach fifth-grade at North Cross School in Roanoke, Virginia. I have also just finished the last leg of my Master of Arts in Teaching program at Hollins University. I had the honor of completing my student teaching experience alongside Mrs. Stephanie Doyle in third-grade at Glen Cove. The purpose of this e-portfolio is to give viewers insight into my teaching style and strategies as well as a glimpse of my character and capabilities as an educator.

Teaching cannot be merely a profession, it must be the essence of an individual; at my core, I am a learner and educator.  Under the extraordinary circumstances currently unfolding in our society, I was in a unique position to experience first-hand the necessity of educators to redesign how we can safely and effectively educate students while following CDC guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Adaptability, resiliency, and perseverance under ever-changing circumstances have become the foundation of my teaching philosophy.

These concepts are not new to teachers, we know how to effectively adapt to student’s changing needs, we know we must be resilient in the face of various challenges, and that we must persevere through the oftentimes fluid and tumultuous climate of education; the newest challenge is adequately doing all these things while adhering to safety guidelines and social distancing regulations. It is a challenge the education community has tirelessly faced together, and I, along with my colleagues, have developed tools and strategies to ensure our students can continue to learn and grow to become the best versions of themselves in spite of the challenges we are facing together.

For a more detailed look into my philosophy of education and recommendations to future teachers, please click the links below.

Revised Philosophy of Education Final Draft PDF

Letter to future student teachers final draft PDF