Krista with a K


Hi! My name is Krista and I am currently living in Temecula. I was born and raised in Napa, California which is in the San Francisco bay area. I attended kindergarten through high school in Napa and graduated from Vintage H.S. in 1992. When I graduated high school, my plan was to attend college and teach high school art or history. I attended Napa Valley College but was having trouble staying focused and dropped out. Unsure of what else to do, I attended UC Davis extension and got a certificate in graphic design. I moved to Southern California in my mid-twenties, got married and had my son who is now 11 years old. I began working as a preschool teacher and it rekindled my love of teaching, so I decided to start taking classes part-time at Mt. San Jacinto College while I worked. It took a few years, but I was finally able to transfer to CSUSM and this is my first semester. I now want to teach elementary school and I’m thrilled to be closer to my dream of working in education.

Although I remember a time when people didn’t have computers in their homes, I still feel like I was lucky enough to be exposed to them while I was still a kid. Our first home computer was an IBM PCjr which came out in 1984 when I was 10 years old. I loved playing games on it and even though it had no mouse and no hard drive it was pretty cool for the time. Being artistic, I loved being able to do creative things with computers and I’m amazed with what they are capable of doing these days. I have experience with PCs from personal use and Mac from using them in the graphic design program. I’ve been using the Internet since 1995 but technology seems to be moving quicker than ever. There’s so many new things that I would love to learn about, especially in relation to what I can use in my teaching career.

What speaks to me the most in the mission statement is the commitment to diversity. The teachers that I connected with the most growing up were those who seemed to accept me for who I was and who tried to nurture my unique qualities. I believe that classrooms should be a positive place for students to express themselves and grow as individuals. As a parent, I’ve dealt with teachers who wanted my son to be a certain way instead of embracing him for his creative spirit. I would love to be a part of a community that supports me in celebrating these diversities in my students. At CSUSM I look forward to gaining many skills that I can bring to the classroom and will be able to teach each child no matter what their learning style or individual needs are.



Comments

  1. I am a preschool teacher, too!It is also my first year at CSUSM. =D It is very interesting to hear about the computer you first had, the description and your experience with it.
    How do you like Cal State, so far?

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  2. Hi Krista! I really enjoyed hearing about how you got to where you are today! I am really into art through computer technology as well and your piece in your picture is absolutely stunning! What kind of medium did you use?! I agree that commitment to diversity is really what set the good and bad teachers of my childhood apart. It is really encouraging that our school includes that in the mission statement!

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  3. HI Krista:::

    My name is Ana, and I hope to see you next class. I really like your commitment to diversity. I share your same opinion. I hope to get to know you throughout the semester so you can share with me your experience as a pre- school teacher

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  4. Karla, I really like CSUSM so far and I'm really glad to finally be here. How do you like it? I was nervous about being here but I felt at home pretty quickly because everyone is so nice. I love teaching preschool, it's a lot of fun and every day is an adventure.

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  5. Kate, I read your blog post too. My cousin just graduated from BIOLA last year. I really like how CSUSM gives the feel of a smaller private school. I mainly like to work with charcoal and sometimes colored pencil. Have you ever taken any art or digital art classes?

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  6. Hi Ana! I would be happy to share my experience as a preschool teacher. I look forward to getting to know everyone in class this semester. Do you ever go back to Oaxaca to visit family and friends? I love Mexico, our family vacations near Puerto Vallarta every year. The people there are so warm and friendly. I'm taking Spanish this semester and it's not easy learning a second language!

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  7. Ana, let me tell you that I felt the same way you did. A bit scared at the beginning but after my first day of school I was walking around campus as if I knew what I was doing. :) It has been fun and I love it. Oh, by the way, the picture were taken at Xochicalco Ruins in Cuernavaca, and the second one at Cacahuamilpa Caves in Guerrero. It was very fun. I love travelling within Mexico. See you soon!

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  8. Kristan the only Mexican land i had step are the grounds of TJ, and hopefully i can go to Oaxaca at the beginning of next year....and Karla next time you visit Mexico be sure to visit iztapa Zihuatanejo Gerrero.

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  9. sorry Krista i misspelled your name

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  10. Hi Krista, nice to see another familiar face in a class of mine! I find it very interesting to read your blog since you have a child so you have first hand experience with teachers and children. I totally agree with the fact that a classroom should be an environment where children can express themselves. Can't wait for this class!

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