Abbie Aiello, Elementary Education – December Education Student of the Month

Abbie Aiello
Courtesy UM School of Education

When Abbie Aiello isn’t working as a graduate assistant for two SOE professors or assisting first-year teachers in local classrooms, the Benton, Louisiana, native can be found in Guyton Hall working on a research project or studying for her next exam. Aiello’s dedication to her craft and her work at the Ole Miss School of Education are just two of the many reasons SOE faculty and staff have selected her as the December Education Student of the Month. Aiello managed to break away from her work for a few minutes to tell us about her time with SOE.

What are you studying?

I majored in elementary education as an undergraduate and I’m currently working on a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading and language arts.

What brought you to the School of Education?

I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I’ve had some very influential teachers in my life. They were just so supportive. They were there for me every day and it made me realize that I wanted to be that person. I want to be there for someone else the way my teachers were for me. One example would be my kindergarten teacher. She was so amazing. Even after I left her class, she would keep up with me. She would check on me to see how I was doing. She genuinely cared about me and it was really inspiring. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that.

What’s your dream job?

My dream job is to be in the classroom. I really enjoy teaching. Have I thought about going back and earning a degree in administration? Yes. But for right now, my dream job is to be a teacher in the classroom interacting with students every day.

What age group would you like to work with?

I’ve always said that I wanted to work with kindergarten students but I’ve realized that I really enjoy teaching first through fifth grade. I’m not really picky on one grade in particular. During my undergrad, I student-taught fifth graders. After I graduated, I taught first grade for a while and I loved that, as well. Kids that age have a bit of different thought process than adults. They just have this spark about them. They can believe anything is possible and it’s amazing. They have this trusting view of the world and are so quick to see the good in everything.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your studies?

I’m part of the SOFT program. That stands for Supporting Our First-Year Teachers. There’s a group of us and we help out at Lafayette Upper Elementary School. We each go five hours a week and are placed with a first-year, sometimes second-year, teacher. It gives us a little more hands-on experience in the classroom, while also being there to help these young teachers as they go about their day. Being a first-year teacher can be really overwhelming so we just want help support them the best we can.

Why did you decide to come to Ole Miss?

Ole Miss was the only place I really ever wanted to go. My sister did her undergraduate degree in accounting here and I would come and visit her. I loved the campus and the town. It’s not that far away from home and I always feel welcome here. I also love the School of Education because of the sense of closeness we all have. I know it’s cliché, but almost everyone really does know each other. Ole Miss just always feels like home.

Interview by C. Green & Courtesy UM School of Education