Hey There!
I'm Areulia Davis,
so nice to meet you!
I'M A RETIRED TEACHER TURNED EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT, DEVOTED WIFE, MOM, AUTHOR, AND LIFE-LONG LEARNER
For as long as I can remember...
I've always wanted to be a teacher.
My bright spot of the day would be “Our Morning Circle”.
Mrs. Fortunberry take us through the following:
“Class what day of the week is it?”
“Class what month is it?”
We would review our alphabet, our numbers and colors.
Then she would teach us songs and finger-plays, this one was my favorite:
“ THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER WENT UP THE WATER SPOUT.
DOWN CAME THE RAIN AND WASHED THE SPIDER OUT.
OUT CAME THE SUN AND DRIED UP ALL THE RAIN,
AND THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER CAME OUT THE SPOUT AGAIN.”
I would sit in my Kindergarten classroom looking admiringly at my teacher, Mrs. Fortunberry. She would greet us each morning with a smile and a handshake.
After reciting a finger play, she then would ask us questions reviewing vocabulary and helping us understand what was happening in the poem.
“Who’s ever seen a spider? What does it look like? Let’s draw one.”
Every conversation in our classroom was an opportunity to teach.
I still teach songs and finger-plays today.
I FOUND MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH CHILDREN
I volunteered at my church working with the Children’s Ministry. We celebrated all the holidays by providing activities for the children in the community. We planned Haunted Houses for Halloween, we made Easter Baskets hid eggs in the local park, and we always presented a pageant for Christmas.
My first paid job working with children, was with the city of Chicago. Every summer the city would hire youth 14 and up to work at summer schools and day camps. That first summer I worked at a local Jhungman Elementary school. I was in charge of 12 second graders. Our activities included arts and crafts and tutoring.
After that summer job I would take every opportunity to play school. I would place my dolls in chairs and teach the alphabet and numbers. When my 3 younger sisters would co-operate I would teach them. Even during that time I had a classroom management plan and I dyanamic lessons in reading, math, social studies and science.
Upon graduating from High School, I saw teaching as the perfect career goal for me.
I also wanted to teach in the field of Early Childhood, because I loved working with infants and toddlers, And one day it would be nice to have my own Day Care Center. I chose Early Childhood at that time because the United States was becoming aware of how important it was for children to start learning in the infant stage, giving them a “jump start in Education".
WITH PURE EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION, I STARTED MY SCHOOLING AT KENNEDY KING COLLEGE AND FROM THERE I WENT ON TO ATTEND CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY
After graduating in 1975 I applied for a position with Chicago Public Schools
I would soon discover that teaching positions were scarce as there were an abundance of teachers waiting on assignments.
Having no desire to be a substitute teacher, I applied for a Pre-school Teacher at Malcolm X Jr. College. This turned out to be a great experience. I loved the environment and working with the children and staff was rewarding.
I can say this position gave me the needed tools and experience to start my career. While teaching at Malcolm X, I was introduced to second career and that was Teacher Leadership. Students from the Child Development Department would come down and observe the classrooms.
AS AN EDUCATOR I WOULD MODEL AND DEMONSTRATE CLASSROOM LESSONS AS WELL AS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. I ALSO MENTORED AND TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE GOING INTO THE FIELD OF EDUCATION
After leaving Malcolm X I became a Field Manager for Girl Scouts of Chicago. This position allowed me to further train and conduct seminars for adults. What an adventure, at any time I could supervise as many as 100 girls and adult volunteers.
After a few years at Girls Scouts of America, finally
a small position becomes available at CPS
I WAS HIRED BY JOHNSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE NORTH LAWNDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.
It was a half-day position working with a full kindergarten in the morning and tutoring seven 1st graders in the afternoon. This special group of 1st graders lacked a multitude of skills that wouldn’t allow them to enter second grade. So, I was determined to work diligently with these students to help them succeed.
The first graders were, a product of their environment, coming from poor dysfunctional families, where school was not a priority. I set out to help these children by filling in the gaps, I started teaching the alphabet, and phonics, and then on to numbers and counting, surprisingly enough they were good with counting especially money. These children who are expected to contribute to their households by going to the corner store and purchasing a carton of milk or a loaf of bread.
I recall a very unique, incident that happened with one of students, let's call him James. January 1986 The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster happened. The incident was played over and over again on the news. During this time, I was also preparing the students for the CPS, IOWA Test that would take place in the spring. Two to three times a week the students would take a practice test. I would issue the test and then review the answers.
I quickly discovered that each child has a very unique way of learning based on their environment
THIS HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLASSROOM IS A LAUNCHPAD AND THAT IT'S MY JOB AS A GOOD TEACHER TO HELP STUDENTS SKYROCKET INTO LEARNING IN A WAY THAT IS EASILY DIGESTIBLE.
My personal favorite quote:
Learning is much more than a pretty classroom and fantastic field trips. You must give each child their own classroom, providing them with the necessary tools they need in order to learn effectively.
I soon accepted a position at Stone Scholastic Academy, where I taught for over 27 years.
I was very happy at Stone, and I touched the lives of over 300 children, who have gone on to be successful. I still hear from some of them today, and some have followed my footsteps and have become teachers.
Upon retiring from CPS in 2012, I felt that my life was just beginning, so I set forth doing some of the things I’ve always wanted to do. First, a book about African Americans, post slavery, settling in Chicago, I published A New Land in 2018 followed by John David’s Legacy in 2021. The final book of the series It Happened in Lawndale will come out winter 2022.
I also had the opportunity to be a mentor for, Teach for America. This organization placed me back into the classroom. I once again was able to sit in small chairs and read to little faces with watchful eyes. I felt a stirring in my bones. Then I realized I had a gift to give to Teachers, new and old.
Because of my passion for writing and being a life-long learner, I decided that I would take my years of expertise and use it to help other teachers like you navigate the field of education with ease.
AS AN EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT, MY MISSION IS TO HELP TEACHERS TO NOT ONLY REMAIN IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION
...but to provide you with the tools and skillset that will transform your career from mundane to highly enjoyable and transformational for both you and your students.
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Life after retirement...
Ready to completely transform your career in education?
I’ve taken my expertise and turned it into an arsenal of tools; sharing some of best kept-secrets and shortcuts that would make teaching far more powerful for you. From notes on how to create meaningful curriculums and lesson plans to classroom management, and how to conduct meaningful Parent Teacher Conferences.
If you've been looking for true support from someone who's been where you are, you're in the right place. I'm so excited to work with you!