"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
-Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
My name is Whitney Cornelli, and I am a second grade teacher in Oakland County, Michigan. I have been happily teaching there since 2012, with experience in both second and third grades. As a high school student, I knew I wanted to teach. While orientation for attending Michigan State University, I saw the College of Education as the perfect first step to becoming a teacher. My abilities may have helped me get where I am today, but it was the choice I made to become a teacher that really shaped and set my future. A choice to work with children and to be a positive role model in the life of so many children - this was something I couldn’t miss out on.
After graduating from Michigan State University in 2010, I student taught for one year in a first grade classroom in Mt. Clemens, MI. I currently teach in the West Bloomfield School District, where I've taught since 2012. I have been lucky enough to work in multiple buildings and grade levels and have gained valuable experience working with both Visible Thinking routines and a small amount of Leader in Me.
When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our families. My husband and I are college sweethearts and felt our life was complete when we brought our German Shepherd home in 2013 (she also completes the classroom as the "unofficial" class mascot!). We love to travel and will take her just about everywhere, if we can - and that includes putting a 75-pound dog into a canoe (she loved it!). We love to stay active, and enjoy rock climbing year-round and snowboarding in the winter. Naturally, I can’t stay away from school, and I find myself teaching summer school or babysitting in the summer months.
Remember the quote at the top of this page? If you asked me what my classroom looked like, that would be it. My classroom is a student-centered environment that focuses on student choice. A place where students feel comfortable, safe, and like they truly belong, because they have made the choice to treat one another like family. A place where students make the choice to take risks, and support one another in those risks. Though my students may be little, they are fierce. They are tomorrow’s leaders, and my hope is that after a year in my classroom, they see themselves as such. My wish for my students is for them to see how valuable their choices are, that they are in control of themselves, and that they will go far in life if they believe that they can.
Image credit: all images property of Whitney Cornelli.