Meet The Teacher: Ms. Cady

It is time to continue our teacher series, and get to know yet another one of the great teachers at Time4Writing: Ms. Cady!

First of all, Ms. Cady, what can you tell us about yourself?

I received my undergraduate degree in English from James Madison University and have a Master’s Degree in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I loved teaching the 2nd grade at the preparatory school, in South Florida, where I spent 14 years of my childhood. Interacting with kids is my way of staying young. Young people’s creativity, excitement to learn, and carefree attitude are all characteristics that I hope to hold on to as long as I can.

How did you get started teaching online?

I have always been interested in educating students in alternative and exciting ways.  I taught at an outdoor education program in the Northeast, where my classroom was the great outdoors.  I enjoyed teaching in a residential environmental education program dedicated to community awareness, motivational learning and conservation of natural resources. I then experienced the traditional classroom and loved the year long interaction with my students.  I decided that it was time to learn and experience a new way of teaching. Time4Learning looked like an innovative and fun working environment, and I wanted to challenge myself with the technical aspect of online teaching. I have learned so much about technology!

What is your favorite part of teaching online?

Although I am teaching online, I have also become a student to technology.  It is so exciting that I teach online and have also learned so many new things! No matter how old I get, I hope to always learn more.  It is also neat to be able to look at student assignments from my home or a coffee shop or in an office.  Often, if I take a trip, the students come with me.

What do you think are the biggest benefits or drawbacks for students taking an online course?

Sometimes students and teachers feel like they need to see each other face to face, in order to grasp or teach a difficult concept.  It is my challenge to help the students realize that they can benefit just as much from my online feedback as they would if I was right in the room with them.

What challenges do students who are new to the Time4Writing course often face?

For a student who is homeschooled or goes to a traditional classroom, following written directions, all the time, may be difficult.  Most home schooled and traditionally schooled students hear the majority of their directions from their teacher. Online, the student must read and often re-read the directions very carefully. After a Time4Writing course, I feel confident that the student has a better understanding of reading directions for assignments. This new skill will help when completing assignments back in the home school or traditional school classroom.

What do Time4Writing students seem to enjoy most about the courses?

I think that the students enjoy completing assignments at their own pace.  I also think that they enjoy the flexibility of completing assignments from any place where they have internet access.

What do you see as your main contribution to each of your students in the Time4Writing courses?

I hope that I can instill a love for writing in each of my students.  Words are my passion.  I love all that goes into a sentence, then a paragraph, then an essay and then maybe even a novel!  I really enjoy cooking and think that writing is a lot like following a recipe. As long as you follow the recipe, you will have a tasty treat at the end.

A big thanks to Ms. Cady for taking the time to share her experiences as a teacher with Time4Writing.  If you think your child could benefit from the experience of a certified writing teacher, such as Ms. Cady, then check out the Time4Writing course catalog and sign up today!