Heidi Borrego

EDUC 275-282
Casey Vavrina
October 8, 2013
Education Autobiography
If someone were to say that they had gone to seven different schools from kindergarten to
twelfth grade most people would assume it was because they had moved a lot. Well not in my
case. I went to seven different schools and lived in the same house all my life. The reason for me
switching schools so frequently was because I had such a hard time in school. It was difficult for
me to learn in many classroom styles. It was hard for me to find a teacher I felt supported by. In
fact, I can think of three teachers in particular that helped me actually graduate. However, I
found through my educational experience that teachers are not the only factors that help a child
succeed. My family, the resources they were able to supply me with, and my culture were also
major reasons why I was able to succeed at school.
One of the main things I learned from school was that teachers make a monumental
difference in a students experience and their ability to learn. Many students have different
learning styles and needs; which is why it is so important to have so many different teachers.
One teacher may not be the answer for all students. I know that I had several teachers that I
really enjoyed, that some of my friends could not stand. For me, a more student-centered
classroom aided in my education. I was able to learn the most from teachers that used a
progressive approach and allowed for dialogue in their classroom. The subject I have had the
greatest struggled with throughout my whole life is reading; so it is amazing that one of my
favorite teachers was my high school literature teacher, Mr. Thomas. Mr. Thomas taught in a way

that I had never seen before. It was more student-centered and used many different teaching
styles. He would have us read a chapter in a book for homework and then when we got to the
class, if that book had a movie, we would watch that part of the movie. Then after the movie, or
if that book did not have a movie, we would act out the main parts of that chapter. After that, we
would have a discussion as a classroom about what we thought the chapter meant and what
symbolism the author used. By Mr. Thomas using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic teaching
styles he helped a lot of students understand and process the information we were learning. My
other two most helpful teachers were Mr. Woodall and Mrs. Toplyn. Both these teachers also
used a more progressive approach. In both classrooms, students would get broken up into groups.
Within those groups we had to figure out answers for ourselves. There was usually a worksheet
or project we had to get done, but it was up to us as a small group to find and discuss the
answers. This really helped me to remember the content instead of just memorizing it for a short
amount of time. All three of these teachers had collaboration and co-learning as core principles.
They wanted their students to discover things for themselves and to come up with questions to
find the answers to.
Teachers are not the only ones I have to thank for getting me through school. My parents
were the biggest reasons for me finishing my education. Because of our socioeconomic status my
parents were able to get me extra help when I needed it. They were also very supportive in
finding me different schools when one was not working. They started me in a Catholic school
and then quickly decided to home school me. When that was not working they moved me to a
charter school, then to an expeditionary learning school, and then around to several public
schools. If my parents had been anything other than Caucasian and middle class they may have
had a more difficult time accommodating my needs. Because we were part of the majority

population we had resources that minority families may not have. Education is also very
important to my family. In my dad's family, his parents and siblings all have masters degrees or
PhD's. Since I was raised in a family that put a lot of emphasis on schooling I felt a lot of
pressure to succeed. Many of my peers and teachers were also of the majority population. Up
until the time I went to the expeditionary school, Polaris, in 7th grade I can not remember having
any mixed ethnicities in my classes. Polaris was a dramatically different school than any of the
other ones I went to. At Polaris teachers were seen as more equals. We called them by their first
names, just as they called us by ours. We had more say in our curriculum and activities. At all the
other schools I went to, teachers held all the power and were the ones in charge. The students
learned whatever the teachers taught and that was all there was to it. The high school that I
graduated from was probably the most ethnically diverse school that I went to. There was an
almost equal amount of Caucasians and Latino/as, so power between the students was pretty
even. Throughout all the schools I went to the classes were mainly focused on an American view
point. There was not a whole lot of teaching about different cultures, hero's of different
races/ethnicities, or different historical events. The majority of stories we learned about were
about white males, written by white males. We also pretty much learned only the history about
America and not very much about any other countries. I am so grateful for all the different
schools I got to experience, but it is also true to say that they all still need work to be more
culturally inclusive.
School is so important for everyone to attend. It is a major way that we are taught about
our culture and society. Through my experiences at many different schools and with many
different teachers, I have learned some very important lessons about school. The best way to
teach for the greatest amount of students is in a student-centered, progressive manner. Using a

variety of teaching methods can help children to retain information as well. I also learned that
our American curriculum is very narrow and could benefit from including more cultures. I think
all my experiences of struggling through school will help me to be a successful teacher. I will be
able to understand and adapt to the needs of my students. I am grateful that I have made it this
far, and am excited to help others succeed.