The Basics
My Name is April Etzold - soon to be April Ring after my wedding
next summer. I have lived in Fort Myers
for about 10 years, so I now call it home. During my childhood I lived all over the
country, and in other countries. I have lived
in Colorado, Texas, California, Mississippi and Germany – that is the life of
an Army “Brat”! I cannot even begin to
name all of the schools I attended as a child, but I graduated from Harrison
Central High school in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1996. I always loved English and participated in
many extracurricular activities, including cheerleading and swimming.
Next I moved to Hattiesburg to attend the University of
Southern Mississippi, majoring in English Education. I graduated in 2001 with the Latin distinction
summa cum laude. I began applying for teaching positions in Florida and was
soon offered a job at North Fort Myers High School. In 2002 I packed my bags and began the
journey to Southwest Florida – a part of the state that was completely unknown
to me.
Since moving to Florida I have taught intensive reading and
English at every grade level in high school.
I worked at North Fort Myers High
School for six years and have recently begun my fourth year at Island Coast
High School in northern Cape Coral. For
the past five years I have focused primarily on teaching seniors. I usually teach all of the same students for
English and intensive reading, that way I can work with them as much as
possible in both classes to improve their reading skills.
My immediate family members consist of my parents,
stepparents, two sisters and my fiancé.
All except my fiancé live in Mississippi. My older sister is a pediatric nurse
practitioner. She is 37 years old and
expecting her first child in October. My
younger sister is 17 years old and a junior in high school. She is very creative and hopes to attend an
art institute after high school. Despite
the significant age difference, both sisters are my full siblings. My parents divorced shortly after the birth
of my younger sister and have both since remarried. My father is retired from the Army and my
mother and stepfather work at a VA hospital.
My fiancé works on cell phone towers and often has to travel for work.
Growing up I always knew that I was interested in a
profession that involved helping others.
I considered being a teacher or a nurse.
My senior year of high school I had an especially inspirational teacher
for AP English who solidified my interest in becoming an English teacher. I had never taken an AP class before and
wound up earning the highest grade in class and was chosen out of everyone in
my graduating class to receive the academic award for English. This gave me the confidence I needed to go on
to college and pursue a major in English.
Even though I never considered teaching reading until I was
offered a position doing so, I have found my niche in teaching struggling
readers. Growing up, and even in
college, I always had a love of learning, but most of my friends did not. I understand the lack of motivation that
plagues most struggling readers, and I have been fairly successful at giving
apathetic students the encouragement they need to succeed. Last year 75 percent
of the students who entered my reading class at the beginning of the school
year were successful in passing the FCAT or receiving the concordant score on
the ACT or SAT by the end of the school year. Seeing the students that I have
grown to know and love walk across the stage on graduation day and knowing that
I played a direct role in helping them get there is the most rewarding
experience that I have ever had. It is
what motivates me to keep working hard every day for my students.
I Am Poem
I am a daughter and sister.
Even though my family lives far away, I try to maintain close contact
with them. My mother, older sister and I
traveled the world together and often had to rely upon each other for support
when my father was serving our country in Korea or the Middle East. We also stuck close together whenever we
moved to a new and unfamiliar place, exploring new schools, new towns, and new
countries together. My little sister
came along at a very different time in my family’s life. I was almost grown when she was born, so I
have helped raise her since she was a baby and have watched her with pride as
she grew into the beautiful young woman that she is today.
I am a fiancé. After
years of playing the dating game and searching for someone who I could imagine
growing old with, I met him when I wasn’t even looking. He was the bravest, most loyal and honest
person I had ever met. Together we are
starting a life together and looking forward to all of the possibilities to
come.
I am a student. I
began the master’s program at FGCU about a year ago, after dreaming and talking
about it for years. I have learned so
many knew skills and strategies to enhance my teaching that I now approach
every day in the classroom with new vigor.
My viewpoints are shifting and I am considering possibilities for my
future that I never before imagined.
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