Running head: AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Education Autobiography: Why I want to become a teacher

Cadee Lowe
Ivy Tech Community College

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Abstract
In the following assignment, I have described the various reasoning as to why I want to
become a Special Education Life Skills teacher. Throughout my schooling career, up until now I
have touched base with several motivation triggers that have blown me in the direction in where
I stand now. I explain about how my very special elementary school teacher, my broad
encounters in high school, and even my current situation have helped determine and evolve into
my final decision to become a future educator.

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INTASC Standard, Description and Rationale

Standard #3 Learning Environments

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative
learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and selfmotivation.

Name of Artifact: Education Autobiography

Date: August, 28, 2014
Course: EDUC 101

Brief Description: For this assignment, I created a Special Education goal that documents the
steps I will utilize as a teacher when teaching Life Skills to my students. In this plan, I include
my personal reflections and reasoning behind why I want to become an educator and help others.
I expose explanation as to why these events have reflected my decision in choosing this as my
life long career.

Rationale: To document my understanding of Standard #3, planning for the future, I selected to
include the steps I have taken that have directed me into making the choice in benefiting my life
by becoming a teacher. This standard also represents what type of educator I would like to be in
the classroom benefiting my future students as well with these positive traits to be successful
students.

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Education Autobiography: Why I want to become a teacher

Education is not something that should ever be taken for granted. From the time we are
born we begin to learn. People continue to learn every day without even sometimes realizing it.
Whether or not it involves numbers or letters, just having contact or observing things in various,
new ways may teach us different things. The content does not have to be strenuous; it could be
as simple as having a conversation with someone you do not usually converse with. What
matters most is what people do with that material that is being learned and grow from it.
Early Years
I grew up k-12th grade attending Wayne Township Schools. I have always loved the
thought of learning new things. Along the way, I was blessed to encounter so many wonderful
teachers and many not so great ones as well. Earlier in my childhood, one particular person
stands out in my mind that represented stellar qualities needed to be a spectacular educator.
Kristin Parisi was my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teacher. Kristin was like no other teacher I have ever
had. She was enthused about her job and was in the field for all the right reasons and her actions
certainly reflected every bit of that. She cared tremendously for every one of her students. She
was the one who convinced me that one day I wanted to be just like her. Students should feel
comfortable, loved, and supported by their teacher in the classroom and if all three of those
components are present; they will thrive. Mrs. Parisi was a prime example of that.
Later Years
In the upcoming years, high school era to be exact, I tried to practice the positive traits I
had observed from teachers and weave out the not so good ones. I was given the opportunity to
Cadet Teach through Marian University, 3 hours a day in the Life Skills classroom at Ben Davis
High School and I practiced a lot of those traits. In this program, I was able to attend class field

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trips and even community outings where we would go shopping for household or nutritional
items that would benefit the students in learning how to someday be able to live on their own. I
was given the opportunity to work hands on with my students and help them understand school
work and assisting teachers when needed. I developed several life-long relationships. I was also
president of the Best Buddies Club, allowing my students I worked with to have a voice, when
not many allowed them to. That was my primary goal in high school. I wanted to convince the
non-believers that people with disabilities were just like everyone else. I loved being able to see
the students I worked with build friendships and become more social with everyone who
participated in the club and shared the same love I had for equality. I was given the freedom to
arrange after school gatherings and even outings to places like the Indianapolis Zoo or the
Childrens Museum. My high school career was the deal breaker. I wanted to pursue a career in
Special Education someday.
Deal Breaker
Senior years end came quickly and it was a very rough one at that. My boyfriend at the
time, who is now my finance, almost lost his life due to a tragic skiing accident. I lost one of my
biggest supporters, my father unexpectedly. Then, graduation day came and college was
definitely not an option for me. I began to work full time at a nursing home to help pay bills so
my mom and I wouldnt lose our home. A year and half passed by, I get a phone call from one of
my teachers that I worked with throughout high school asking if I would be interested in
becoming a paraprofessional. Of course, I jumped right on that opportunity. Being able to wake
up every school day and come in and do what I love was absolutely amazing. Sure, I was getting
paid to do it, but that was just a tad bit of a bonus compared to all the other rewards I was getting
from my heart being filled with love everyday with the presence of beautiful souled students.

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6
Final Remarks

I am currently still working at Ben Davis High School and every day I am constantly
reminded of how blessed I am to be able to work here and see what my future may bring head
on. Although this is a fantastic job, I know in my heart that I am meant to be more. I want to be
the teacher that creates lesson plans. I want to be that teacher that remembers every single one of
her students. I want to be the teacher that sees her students out to their busses and the students
walking out feeling warm, full of love and feeling cared for; important. I want to be that teacher
who is supporting and is just as enthused about teaching as their students are to learn. I want to
be a Mrs. Parisi. I want to be the teacher that continues to learn even after college, actually get
taught by my students; I want to continue to grow. I want to be Ms. Lowe, the Life Skills teacher.
I know it takes a lot of patience and motivation to work with students and get them where they
need to be, but I am more than willing to do everything it takes to do just that. All of these life
altering events and many more have made me who I am and want to be. Every student I have
been able to build relationships with have taught me so much. Their outlook on life is different
from ours, possibly the more correct way. Why not always think positive and live a happy
fulfilled life. Why not choose to pursue a career in something that will be a constant reminder
and reward in changing innocent lives for the better? This seems like quite a life-fulfilling choice
to me.