Erica Atnip

I made the decision to become a teacher as I was pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy. I had the opportunity to teach a weight lifting class. I loved the process of planning the lesson: differentiation that would be needed, ways to demonstrate the appropriate lifts, and tools I could use for the lesson to make it more engaging. Following the lesson, I decided I wanted to explore teaching. I changed my goals and found myself in classrooms shortly after. I have never looked back.

A student in one of my classes recently moved to the US and did not speak English. His first week of school, he cried most days. I practiced learning Spanish each night to ensure communication with him and his family. As the year went on, he began smiling, cracking jokes and finding success in academics. I witnessed him overcome the challenges he faced and find his home in my classroom. I am so thankful to I met him and grown alongside such an intelligent, empathetic and hilarious person.

I would continue research of music integration in core subjects (math, science, reading, and writing). I began action research on this concept during my Master's Degree courses and saw a large effect size. Over the last 5 years, I have used music to supplement my instruction in both math and science. The students are engaged, and retention of the content is significant. I would like to continue to explore this connection and implement this ideal into curriculum on a large scale.