Love of Teaching Fuels Senior’s Academic, Career Pursuits

Love of Teaching Fuels Senior's Academic, Career Pursuits

Madison Freitas said teaching is where she is most in her element.

"I have wanted to be a teacher my whole life. My dad is an elementary teacher and has been an amazing role model for what kind of teacher I want to be," Freitas said. "Even when I played with my sisters growing up, I always wanted to play school: I was the teacher, and they had to be the students."

Graduating Dec. 14 with a bachelor of education, Freitas said she plans to pursue her love of teaching by working with young children.

"I love early childhood education because I have the ability to find out who they are as a person," she said. "I have the ability to help them grow, to have new experiences and to discover the world. They are so excited about learning, and together, we get to explore that."

Freitas currently teaches at Byrnedale Elementary School within the Toledo Public School system.

"I love my job because I am able to make an impact on my students," Freitas said. "My cooperating teacher does an amazing job at allowing me to be as creative as I want, and the students also work with all my ideas. I am thrilled with the connections I have made with my students."

Freitas said Dr. W. B. Weber, professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was one of many professors who had a positive impact on her.

"I have always struggled in math and Dr. Weber helped my classmates and myself to understand the math we were going to be teaching and also to help our students not to have that fear of math," she said. "With the techniques he taught, I truly feel confident in teaching a subject that I was so worried about."

Weber said Freitas will be a great teacher.

"I had the pleasure to work with Madison while she was a student in my Mathematics for the Young Child course," Weber said. "I enjoyed having Madison in class and that I was able to play a small part in helping her reach her goal of becoming a teacher. Throughout my course, I saw Madison's confidence grow as she was able to connect what she was learning in class and what she was learning about mathematics teaching in her field experience in an area school. She often shared in class things that she had learned about teaching mathematics, about children and about herself as a teacher."

After graduation, Freitas has opportunities lined up to continue teaching children locally.

"I have already received two job offers for after I graduate but I'm not sure where I will teach," she said. "I do know I will try my best to make an impact on my students no matter where I am."

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