Mellissa Donohoe

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

I have two sons, Collin and Henry, who keep me very busy..and entertained:)  We also have a mini Dachshund named Lucy, a Golden Retriever named Juno, and an orange striped cat named Coleslaw. We enjoy doing all things outside and cooking!

EDUCATION INFORMATION:

  • Mullen High School, 2000

  • Chadron State College-Bachelor of Art in Business Administration/Management Emphasis-May 2009

  • Chadron State College-Master of Science in Organizational Management/Sports Management Emphasis-Dec. 2011

  • University of Nebraska Kearney-Transitional Certificate-Dec. 2014

  • University of Nebraska Kearney-Master's of Instructional Technology/Information Technology Emphasis-May 2023

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY:

As I reflect on my years in the classroom, my teaching philosophy has dramatically changed. I now embrace 4 main ideas:

  • Student Engagement

  • Information Facilitation

  • Student Selection of Learning Path

  • Personal Connections

As instructor, I take great responsibility in ensuring the content I deliver is current and engaging. I believe it is my role to facilitate information to students for digestion in a myriad of ways. It is well known that everyone learns differently. I make every attempt to choose a great variation of content delivery to reach all learners. I jump at every chance to incorporate real life application of concepts as well as the use of field experts.

In addition, I think it is important for students to have some choice in demonstration of their learning. I definitely do not believe there is a one-size fits all method of assessment. My practice regularly allows for students to choose their pace, place, and path of reaching learning objectives. Through this, I have discovered that students take greater pride in their learning thus resulting in long term memory commitment. Plus, this strategy allows me to recognize understanding on individual levels which lends itself to more one-on-one time with students or groups of students. While one group is working on a task, I can be touching base with another group to reinforce concepts or answer questions. Technology integration is a definite tool which aids in the cohesion of any given unit.

Finally, I believe personal connections are the bridge between these ideas. Without this, the previous discussed ideas are unattainable. Throughout life, I have always had a keen knack at connecting with people which has served me very well as an educator. When students recognize a genuine care in them, they will move mountains to work on subject content. In addition, allowing for collaboration amongst students builds that connection taking learning to another level.

When all of these items come together, amazing things happen in the classroom. I find it a great honor and privilege to be a part of that on a daily basis thus taking my role in that process very seriously. As such, I constantly seek professional development and learning opportunities to expand my knowledge base and develop my craft. I am, in fact, living out my dream job each and every day.