Introducing myself!

By : Caitlyn Haines

Hey, there! My name is Caitlyn Haines, and I am a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I am majoring in Secondary Education with an English Language Arts endorsement. Recently, I began substituting for the Omaha Public School District, but just about every job I have had since high school revolved around teaching and being a role model for younger children!

Growth Mindset

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou

Since I enrolled at UNO, a growth mindset has been a foundation of my every day. It is my duty as a teacher, to meet my students wherever they are at and make sure we find growth for them that school year, and not only in their academic work, but also as humans! Whether we are scaffolding or differentiating for a student to extending learning for others, giving students the access to be self-reflective and decide what they would like to work on most for that year and what they know they need to work on that year. Giving students access to education is a cornerstone of democracy, because the more educated we are, the more informed decisions we can make for ourselves.

Behavior is Communication

“All feelings are valid."

All the way from an infant to an adult, behaviors are a form of communication. Whether the baby is crying or an adult is yelling, there is an emotion being demonstrated and a need not being met. It is my job as an educator along with parental communication to decide what needs may not be being met and the proper coping strategies to match for every individual student to make sure they are successful. As I continue my education, learning about behaviors and the strategies to meet every person's needs will be at the forefront of my passions.