Getting to Know Face Itch

 

 Image Source

The country that is responsible for creating a comedian AKA me!

The Origin of Face Itch

Hello! My name is Mirela Fejzic or as my students call me Ms. Face Itch. Let me take you back to second grade where a "friend" of mine completely butchered my last name. I entered elementary school knowing absolutely no English to the point where I sat through the Pledge of Allegiance. As an English language learner, I couldn't pronounce my name any other way than in Bosnian. This only lasted until that very special "friend" introduced me as Mirela Refrigerator. Although my English vocabulary was extremely limited, I knew what refrigerator meant. How she got refrigerator from the six letters of my last name I'll never know, but it traumatized me. Once I decided to be an educator, I knew I had to get my act together in terms of an easy pronunciation for my last name which is where face itch came from. When explaining the pronunciation I get a genuine giggle along with the confirmation that the person could never forget it.

About Face Itch

It all started in 1997, when my family was selected through a lottery to come to the United States from war torn Bosnia. I was born and raised in Chicago. I attended the same elementary school from first to eighth grade. I struggled to be a successful student in my early years of schooling since I couldn't depend on family members. This was due to the fact that only Bosnian was spoken at home. I found myself making birthday wishes to be smart because I thought not knowing English meant I wasn't. This is why I chose to be an educator so that no child will feel the way I felt, or go through such challenges. I'm in my second year of teaching in Buffalo Grove. I work with twenty five fabulous fifth graders. When I'm not teaching my favorite humans, I'm doing other activities I love. Some of these activities include listening to music, cooking, baking, reading, binge watching shows, and spending time with family and friends. I'm addicted to coffee, naps, humor, and my nephew. 

Authors Image

My brother and I meeting our nephew.

Face Itch vs. Technology

The relationship I have with technology is rocky. When it comes to social media, I have been defeated. When I was younger, social media was all I knew and did. I never noticed how much it consumed my time, mind, and relationships with others. Once I woke up from the social media coma, I was able to remove myself off almost all social medias to focus my time on more important aspects of my life like actually living. However, the other side of the technology world is my best friend. I'm always on websites whether it is to research a certain concept or finding programs to use within my classroom. I feel victorious when I find a program that I could use to benefit my students and their needs. Some examples of websites that students frequently use include IXL, SplashLearn, Vocabulary A-Z, Raz Kids, Epic, Kami, and Book Creator. All of these programs allow students the opportunity to engage with activities that step away from the traditional book or worksheet. Some websites that I use when creating lessons are Brain Pop, Newsela, ReadWorks, Scholastic, and Nearpod. I use each website differently depending on whether it is a program to create my lesson or use within my lesson. Online resources that have been provided by my district for various subjects include Mystery Science, InquirED, Second Step, and ConnectED. I love to use technology in all my lessons as well as activities or assessments for my students. 

Face Itch in EDU 776

I'm really looking forward to how I can continue to improve my relationship with technology. I want to be able to step away from traditional teaching in order to benefit each and every one of my students. Education is changing every day and I hope to change with it for the better.

Image Source

How cool I'll look when integrating more technology within my classroom.