Staff writer
From chalkboards to interactive whiteboards, technology has made the biggest impact to Michelle Adkins during her 15-year teaching career.
A first grade teacher at Marion Elementary, Adkins said students use iPads and the promethean board to do different activities and check progress on certain assessments.
“Technology has impacted their ability to focus so long, I think,” she said. “The ability to teach with technology, I really enjoy that. It tends to keep the kids’ attention, to where when I first started teaching, it was basically chalkboard, whiteboard, and that’s about it, with an overhead projector.”
Adkins’ interest in teaching began with early childhood classes and helping with a pre-school program in high school at Belle Plaine, but teaching runs in the family.
After graduating from Belle Plaine, Adkins received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and early childhood from Emporia State. She then attended Wichita State, where she earned a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction.
“Part of it would be genetics I think, because on my mom’s side she has six siblings that are teachers out of the eight,” Adkins said. “So they all teach, and most of their husbands.”
Adkins, who also works with fellow first grade teacher Staci Hansen, said she enjoys her students the most.
“I enjoy working with the kids every day and getting to know them, developing relationships with them, developing a bond, and getting to know each one as their own person,” she said.