Today we’d like to introduce you to Shantel Patt.
Hi Shantel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My journey like most is “From Humble Beginnings” because life is only as good as you make it and that was especially true for me because I came from a small country town in Texas named Mount Enterprise population 504. At an early age in life, I loved books, music, and helping others. So, I knew I was either going to grow up to be a teacher, doctor, or musician. I of course, chose to take my talents into the classroom and become a teacher.
I started my journey to success by working at a Literacy Center while in college to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to help those who struggle to learn the basic foundation of reading. I graduated from East Texas Baptist University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Reading.
Once I graduated in December 2007, I began working as a Teacher’s Aide. As the years progressed in my education career, I decided to pursue my master’s degree and then graduated from LeTourneau University in 2014 with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. I consider myself a ‘forever student,’ eager to both build my academic foundations in literacy, psychology, and sociology.
My hunger for knowledge and determination turned into action and contributed to the development of Grow Read Learn. Grow Read Learn is a non-profit that focuses only on literacy (reading, writing, comprehension, and spelling).
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Struggle and being a teacher seem to go hand and hand. I have faced many struggles in my 14 years of teaching. I started teaching in 2008 as a 4th-grade teacher for half a semester. At the start of the year, I was demoted to a Teacher’s Aide in 3rd grade for a year which was a dramatic pay cut. The following year I was sent to a middle school as a Technology Assistant, which was a cool job and a pay raise, but it was not the job I wanted or my calling. In the midst of all the job changes and transfers I found out I was pregnant, and I moved to Shreveport, LA, and accepted a position as a Kindergarten teacher. I thought life was going well, and I was finally getting back on my feet. Wrong!!! I went into preterm labor and missed majority of the school year. I could go on and on about the many struggles I have faced to get to where I am now, BUT God saw fit for me to somehow get on my feet, and now 10 years later, I am thriving at an amazing school.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, INC., and a 3rd grade Reading Teacher. I am an Apple Teacher, which means that I create innovating learning environments for my students with Apple technology. I was recently nominated and chosen as a Super Teacher in Richardson ISD, which is a huge honor because there are over 2,900 teachers. I specialize in teaching students how to read and to have a love of reading. I love incorporating reading and technology by using a variety of different apps and games in my classroom. My favorite programs to use thus far are Keynote and Garage Band because you can do so many different animations, image uploads, charts, recordings, and more. I am most proud of my student’s growth because the progress they have made since the beginning of the year is out of this world. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am willing fail at some things and try again to get the results that I am looking for. I am a risk-taker in my classroom, and I push my students for excellence at all times.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My biggest supporters are my husband and my children. They push me to be the best me even when I want to quit and throw in the towel. Without them none of this would mean anything.
Pricing:
- 25 per hour 1 subject
- 35 per hour 2 subjects
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growreadlearn/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/growreadlearn
