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The Dream of Teaching Becomes a Reality for Shelby Spencer

Shelby Spencer and Dr. Maday Leon
Spencer (left) with Dr. Maday Leon, BSEE lead instructor

Shelby Spencer has wanted to be a teacher since she was a child. On Tuesday, May 10, she will be the student speaker during SFSC’s 7:30 p.m. spring Commencement ceremony at the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park. At the same time, her dream becomes a reality when she is conferred her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE).

A native of Hardee County, Fla., Spencer graduated from Hardee Senior High School in 2019 and earned her Associate in Arts from SFSC through the College’s dual enrollment program.

“It’s been an exciting journey,” Spencer said. “I want to be an educator because I want to be a positive role model in students’ lives. I’ve seen the impact on students who are not cared for or don’t have much parental support in their lives. I’m responsible, trustworthy, dependable, and loving. I feel those attributes will make me a great educator, and I’m passionate about kids.”

Spencer’s greatest inspiration for entering the teaching profession is her mother, Lisa. She has been a teacher for 27 years and, currently, teaches second grade at North Wauchula Elementary School. “Through seeing her interactions with her students, the way she is able to love them when they’re down, or just need support, that’s what really inspires me,” Spencer said. “She doesn’t just show up every day to teach. Although the main goal of a teacher is to teach students, it’s the loving, passionate relationship that my mom has with her students that truly inspires me.”

Her aunt also teaches third grade at Zolfo Springs Elementary School. Recently, the students took the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) test. Spencer’s aunt and her coworkers decided they wanted to encourage their students by dressing up as rock stars. “They came to school and would shout, ‘Let’s rock on. Let’s rock the FSA!’ in front of the school,” Spencer said. “It was to motivate and support the students. The kids were excited and would respond, ‘Rock on!’ Things like that really make me want to be an educator.”

Spencer dressed to read with students
Spencer engaged her students in a reading project during her fall 2021 kindergarten internship. Photo courtesy of Shelby Spencer.

Although Spencer says that her studies in the BSEE program have been a highlight in her life, she has been facing a personal challenge, along with her family. While preparing to graduate from high school in 2019, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and continues to battle the disease. “Your senior year in high school is supposed to be your most exciting time,” Spencer said. “But that’s been the hardest part of my life — trying to be strong for my mom. It’s hard to always be strong, but my family and I have faith in God for protection and total healing over her life.”

Spencer considers her mother her best friend and her role model. “When I start teaching, I want my mom to be there and help me decorate my classroom,” she said. “That’s what I dreamed of. I can’t wait for that day to come.”

In the meantime, life after the BSEE program is falling into place for Spencer. Although her most recent internship has been teaching fourth grade, she’s been offered teaching jobs and is leaning toward a position as a kindergarten teacher.

“I remember my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Carlton at Wauchula Elementary School,” Spencer said. “Because of her, every day at school was such a joy, and I want to do that for my kindergarten students — to be their first teacher and make a profound impact on their education. As students come to class for the first time, you don’t know what their background is, what their home life is like, or if they’ve been to preschool. I want to be the teacher that can make that first impact and be that proactive teacher who makes them want to enjoy school and learning from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade.”

Spencer’s also applied to begin a master’s degree at Florida Gulf Coast University with a focus in Curriculum and Instruction. “I want to keep going in education,” she said. “My goal is to, eventually, get my doctorate. After teaching elementary school for several years, I’d like to be a college professor in an Education program. I’d love to become an instructor and to inspire other students to become teachers, just like my professors at SFSC have done for me and my classmates.”

Spencer has learned various teaching strategies from Dr. Maday Leon, leader instructor for the SFSC BSEE program, and from Dr. Jerry Wright, her BSEE professor and the assistant principal at Woodlawn Elementary School. She mentioned using the Kagan Cooperative Learning Structure, a learning model in which every student becomes actively involved in instruction.

“It makes learning collaborative, so students talk to each other and they learn from one another,” Spencer said. “I noticed that through using Kagan, students’ test scores are usually higher. On weeks I didn’t implement as much Kagan into the classroom, the test scores were average. But you can tell the collaboration really increases the students’ learning overall.”

She also enjoyed classes that involved English Language Learnings (ELL). Taught by Michelle Macbeth, SFSC Spanish instructor, BSEE students learned strategies on how to support children who come into the classroom and know no English, little English, or are on the verge of becoming English proficient. Through Macbeth’s class, the BSEE students were able to obtain their English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement.

“I also loved Dr. Wright’s science class,” Spencer said. “In elementary schools, students often participate in science fairs. In his class, we created science fair projects to help us teach students by first experiencing the process ourselves.”

Spencer dressed as a donut baker to read “Hello, Arnie!” to her students.
Spencer dressed as a donut baker to read “Hello, Arnie!” to her students. Photo courtesy of Shelby Spencer.

The BSEE program affords students the opportunity to earn a Reading endorsement. “Some of the most impactful courses that I had were with Dr. Leon,” Spencer said. “She gave us a plethora of reading strategies. The reading strategies that I love to implement the most are Reader’s Theaters and Choral Readings.” Reader’s Theater engages children in oral reading through reading parts in scripts. Choral reading is reading aloud in unison with a whole class or a group of students to build fluency and self-confidence.

Beyond her studies within the BSEE program, Spencer found support and a new best friend. “My professors weren’t just there to teach,” she said, “they would talk to me about things that were going on personally, especially, Dr. Leon. She has not just been a teacher, she’s been a personal savior in this instance. She let me come into her office to talk with her. She has stayed with me after class and before class. When you know someone, you can tell if they’re having an off day, and she could tell when I was having an off day in class. She would stay with me after class and say, “How’s your mom? How are you doing? Is there anything I can do to help? I’m praying for you.”

As part of a cohort program — one in which a group of students enter a program together and remain together until its completion — Spencer found a College family. “I met one of my best friends in my program, Rosaura Guido. She’s graduating from the BSEE program as well. Ever since the first class we had in the program, we instantly connected and we think so much alike.” In fact, Spencer and Guido grew up in Hardee County and never met until they became students in the program. Spencer will be celebrating Commencement with her other best friend, her sister-in-law Josie Spencer, who graduates from the Associate in Science in Nursing program.

“Shelby will be a fantastic teacher,” Dr. Leon said. “The goal of the BSEE program is to positively impact our school districts by preparing effective educators who create a positive learning environment for all students. The program’s emphasis is on helping student teachers implement collaboration and develop a classroom management plan based on the student-teacher relationship. The quality of our graduates is evident, because all of them have received more than one job offer during their final internship. Throughout the program, BSEE faculty inspire our students to work hard and implement inclusive strategies which accommodate English Language Learners, struggling readers, and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students.”

“I strive to live everyday as if it’s my last,” Spencer said. “I do everything I can to make life enjoyable. I love adventure and trying new things. I love to hang out with my family and friends. They are my rock.”