Sharene Duncombe
Vinton, Virginia USA
Personal Statement
First of all, I believe that teaching is a calling from God and that the best teaching occurs in the context of a relationship between the student and instructor. Because of these things, as a teacher I work diligently to remain faithful to my calling be developing relationships with my students. In that context, I believe that I can best lead my students to greater knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Secondly, my teaching philosophy is based on the rhetorical triangle. The bottom two points of the triangle represent the instructor and student, and the triangle’s apex represents truth. My goal as a teacher is to lead the student upward to truth, and that journey requires me to develop my ethos (my credibility as an instructor), the student’s pathos with the subject matter (his sympathy for the truth), and to clearly explain the subject (the truth). A good instructor employs all three of these rhetorical appeals to guide students to embracing knowledge.
I’ve been blessed to have helped multiple students over my teaching career. One particular student stands out, however, because she recently returned to give me some very positive feedback with greatly encouraged me. Although she originally struggled with my high expectations, when she moved onto other professors, she realized that I had actually done her a favor by making her learn things she didn’t originally appreciate.
Like all teachers, I have also experienced a degree of failure. This past semester I, unfortunately, had to fail a student who did not meet the course’s attendance requirement. I consider this a failure because my goal is to encourage and equip every student with the necessary tools to succeed. Although this particular student exhibited a lack of motivation from the first time I met her, I was able to encourage her so that she made it about two-thirds through the semester. However, she then began to miss classes, and as a result, I failed her. From this experience, I learned that students have a high degree of autonomy and that they have the final decision as to whether they will succeed or fail.
As far as teaching various cultures, I have experience doing so with multiple cultures (Brazilian, African, Haitian, Spanish). Because of this experience, I feel confident that I can continue to effectively teach students from other cultures. The important things are to engage the student in conversation rather than lecturing and to plan appropriately.
Resume
Education
2014- 2016 Radford University, Radford, Virginia Master of Arts in English
GPA: 4.0
2011-2014 Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia Bachelor of Arts in English
Concentration: Creative Writing GPA: 3.78
Honors: Dean’s List
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor’s Society
2002-2005 Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke, Virginia Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts
GPA: 3.9
Honors: Dean’s List
Phi Theta Kappa, Honor Society for Two-Year Colleges Foundation Scholarship Recipient
Additional coursework completed in Microsoft Office Essentials, French, Speech, Psychology, Biology, Math, American Literature, Music, Art History, and Writing.
Memberships
2014-Present Conference on Christianity and Literature
2014-Present Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society 2005-Present Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Experience
2014- Present Graduate Teaching Fellow/ Assistant (part-time) Radford University, Radford, Virginia
Create lesson plans, teach writing composition, grade student assignments, conduct student conferences, communicate with students and faculty, offer presentations at training meetings
1995- Present Private Tutoring Service (part-time)
Work with clients of all ages (preschool-adult) to assess and improve academic performance in a wide variety of subjects.
2012-2014 Tutor (part-time)
Classical Conversations, Blue Ridge, Virginia
Created and assessed academic work following the Classical Model of education with a tightly-focused group of homeschooled children and their parents.
2005-2012 Director (full-time) Summers Parkway Christian Summer Camp, Roanoke, Virginia
Founded camp, directed advertising, hired employees, accepted payments, implemented policies, responded to parent communication, scheduled meetings, maintained financial records, organized activities, worked with children ages 4-12.
2006-2008 Children’s Ministry Coordinator (part-time) Parkway House of Prayer, Roanoke, Virginia
Planned and implemented multiple events each week for 70+ children ages 5-12. Coordinated volunteers, lesson plans, and parent communication. Organized functions for 100+ people.
2004-2005 Tutor (part-time) Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke, Virginia
Assist students desiring improved academic proficiency in English, French, and Psychology.
2001-2004 Bank Teller (full-time)
Southwest Virginia Savings Bank, Roanoke, Virginia
Met customer service needs, maintained accurate cash drawer of
$10,000+, matched customers with appropriate bank products, filled ATM and processed ATM transactions.
2000-2001 Administrative Assistant to Vice President (part-time) Walk-Easy, Inc., Delray Beach, Florida
Filled orders, answered telephone, billed customers, composed letters, handled overdue accounts.
1994-1999 Teacher (full-time for 3 years and part-time for 2 years) Deerfield Christian Academy, Deerfield Beach, Florida
Worked with children from preschool through elementary age. Created and implemented lesson plans. Organized special help classes for children needing extra academic attention.