Autobiographical Essay 1

Autobiographical Essay
Alex Dale
Professor Carol Billing
Education 201: Foundations of Education
Spring 2013










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Introduction
I have always wanted to be in front of a classroom teaching a subject that I enjoyed.
When I tutored it just felt right. I love seeing teachers who care and seeing the light bulb go off
in students heads when something finally makes sense. I will take you through my experiences
through this autobiographical essay and maybe it will open you up to why I want to teach.
Education Background
When I started elementary school I attended Central Elementary for three years
before they kicked me out. I lived in Snake River school district but my mom had friends that
told her to not let me go there. Before they found out my real address we used my aunts address.
After that we had little time to find another school for me that didnt have a school district so my
mom paid for me to attend Zion Lutheran. While I was attending my mom found out that she
was pregnant so we moved in Roosevelt school district and I ended up going there for my last
year of elementary school. For middle school I went to West Middle school. After middle school
I went to Nampa High and that is where I graduated from.
My current level of education is a sophomore in college. After CWI I plan to go to Boise
State to finish up my teaching degree. So far I want to teach at the high school level. People say
Im crazy but I loved my high school and I want to set a good example for my students.
When in high school I was a teachers assistant for the special needs program at Nampa
High. Every week we played a different game with them and taught them the fundamentals.
There were some challenges in that class though but I learned to relax and just try to help them
the best I could. When one of the students was having a really hard time the teacher, Mr. Lopez,
would come over and help. He was a great teacher and he loved every single one of his students.
Last semester I took EDUC215 and EDUC204. EDUC204 opened me up and had me think about
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different situations. Different families, backgrounds, educations, ect. We also worked through
different situations in groups to discuss all the different scenarios that could be happening within
a family. EDUC215 helped me better understand how to write and create newsletters, handouts,
and gave me great websites to visit when I become a teacher. I also enjoyed seeing other students
work to help make improvements on my own work. I want to help students understand what they
are doing so that they can go on and follow their dreams of becoming the best that they can be.
Work History
I have only had one real job since I graduated high school. While in school I was
involved in sports. My mom had to quit sports because of her job in high school and she didnt
want me to have to quit something I loved. In sports I learned the roles of responsibility and I
learned how to be a hard worker on a team. We also had to keep our grades up if we wanted to
play in the games. I think the most important thing I had to learn was how to win and lose as a
team. Softball and volleyball were team sports and if I did badly I would blame myself for the
loss. That was the most challenging thing to learn while playing sports. I think that will be
beneficial to teach in a classroom. If a student fails its not just on me, the teacher, or the student.
It is a combination on both of us. Maybe I didnt teach it to the students needs and then they
didnt ask for help. Or maybe the student had a hard time on the quizzes and I didnt catch it in
time. I think the classroom is kind of like a team sport; you win some and lose some together.
While I didnt have a real job in high school I did do a lot of yard work and mowing lawns. This
made me learn responsibility. It was not a sport where I had other people to have my back. This
was something that was all on me if I forgot something or did something wrong it was my fault. I
was a pretty responsible child but no one is perfect. Between both of these I learned how
important responsibility was and how to be a hard worker. I had to remember when things
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needed to be done. I want my students to learn how important responsibility is especially if I
teach high school. They will be going onto college soon and wont get things handed to them.
After high school I got a job working with kids at the Rec Center. I thought this was the
perfect job to get me ready for teaching. It is amazing how kids change over the years though.
We had to entertain them; they couldnt do anything without being bored. I didnt understand!
We used to go outside and entertain ourselves. These days they have to have something to do or
play. This was an eye opener but I loved every minute of it. We had a team of adults and we had
kids to entertain all throughout the summer. We would come up with different games and crafts
for them to do. It was the whole teamwork thing that I learned back in high school. I loved it and
I was prepared for my job. I know that I want to work with kids even though they can be a
challenge sometimes. I love my job and am still currently working there. We teach them
responsibility and help them through their problems. I love what I do and cannot wait to become
a teacher and be a good role model. Sometimes we see them more than their parents so we need
to be there for them. We learn from them as well as they learn from us. This job has been a great
experience and I wouldnt change anything about it.
Service and Extracurricular Activities
When I was in high school I joined something called Nampa Mayors Teen Council. I
was thinking ahead and wanted to do something that would make sure that I got into the college I
wanted. At first it was just a bunch of super long and boring meetings but the more I went the
more interested I became in it. It turned out to not just be something I had to do; it became
something that I looked forward to. It helped me meet new people in our community and it made
me feel good about serving Nampa in so many ways. We did things from Paint the Town to even
caroling for money at Christmas time. We helped gather presents and wrap them to give to our
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Adopted family for Christmas. We even had dinner with them and watched them open up their
gifts from us. Just the joy and smiles from the families face made me feel good. It made me feel
like I was making a difference in someones life. Teen council taught me a lot about being a
good member in our society and that no matter how much you help; at least you made an effort
in helping.
Another thing I did in high school was play team sports, mostly volleyball and softball.
Sports taught me a lot about teamwork and how there really isnt an I in team. Even if you did
really well but the team lost, overall you all lost. I think this and my amazing teachers in high
school made me want to become a teacher the most. I loved the different relationships that a
coach/teacher and a student had. As a coach they taught you how to play an effective game but
as a teacher they helped you understand how important school really is. They also laid down the
law though when needed. If you didnt make the grades then they played hard ball and didnt let
you play. But on the opposite side they helped you and if they saw you struggle then they would
help you early on. The coaches that didnt see you inside the classroom had the hardest time
getting their players to do well in school. Maybe the player or coach didnt care much but I
always felt like a coach/teacher relationship was way better with me.
Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career
I first considered education as a career when I was in elementary school. I loved helping
my peers with their homework and knowing how to do things. I felt so good when I was teaching
them and it clicked in their mind. As I got older I kept helping and kept getting that feeling. It
was like I knew what I wanted to do with my life. It was not like all the other dream jobs that
my friends wanted because throughout the years I have not changed what I wanted to be. My
friends were always changing their minds on what they wanted to do with their lives.
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I have not really considered other careers at this point. I have always wanted to teach and
I plan on fulfilling this dream. If I do not teach then I will become a tutor or something on the
lines of teaching. I could even become a home school teacher. I just want to be around kids and
have that light bulb feeling all the time. I work at a daycare right now and love it. We do not
really teach the kids school things but we do teach them other things that are important as well. If
anything I would be willing to teach younger kids but my dream is high school teaching one
subject that I am good at. I want to have my students really learn what I have to teach and I want
their parents to respect me as a teacher. I am tired of seeing teachers that do not like their jobs
and think that it is easy. Those people should not be in this career. I want to see people that
actually care and that actually want to be in the classroom. I do not know where I would be
without teachers that did not care about my future. Those are the kind of teachers that I look up
to and want to be like. No matter what we do in our classroom we can have a positive impact
because we are there and giving them the knowledge for whatever they decide to do in the
future.
Professional Goals
My long term goals are to become and math teacher and get a good job. I want to
be able to graduate knowing that I did the best I could in my classes. I wanted to teach at Nampa
High but the way things are going I am not sure now. I still have a few years so maybe they will
be in better shape by the time I get done with all my schooling. I do not think that my goals are
too hard to accomplish. I just want what a lot of women want; that big country looking house
with a blue door and a white picket fence with that guy that she cannot resist. I feel like I watch
too many Disney movies but as long as I have good friends and my family I hope that my long
term goals will come true and that I will live life to the fullest.
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My short term goals are mostly personal. I really hope that some of my classes this
semester come out with good grades. I am really worried for my Macroeconomics. I am so
worried that I will not pass this class and that I will have to retake it. My next short term goal is
to get through this summer. I will have two real jobs plus mowing lawns and cleaning houses. I
want to enjoy life while I am young and not have to work all the time. This is why I am thankful
that I have made some friends at work. I know life is short but I also want to enjoy it before
something happenslike getting old! I also plan on moving out soon with some friends and so I
have to work hard to be able to pay for rent. I hope everything works out with my short term
goals because those lead to my long term goals as well. If I get discouraged with my short term
goals then my long term goals could change over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, everything I do now is for my future in teaching. Getting good grades now
and graduation will only help me be closer to my dream of being a teacher. I cannot wait to have
my own classroom and be set with my life. Nothing is easy but I am willing to work hard to get
where I have wanted to be for the past 12 years of my life. Thank you for taking time to learn
about me and why I want this so bad.