Running head: ABE ESSAY 1

ABE Essay

Morgan M. Melia

College of Western Idaho

ABE ESSAY 2

ABE Essay

Introduction

Throughout my life, I have been always had interest in a teaching career. I have always

loved helping people try new things and experience something they have never experienced

before. I am here to explain to my readers about my life and why it has led me to my career

choice that I have picked. Some of the points I will be explaining are my educational

background, work experience, and ethical reasons. I will be explaining my life and why I want to

be a teacher.

Educational Background

I lived in California for 19 years. I went to five schools total in California, including a

college. The first school I attended was Fairmont Elementary school. I attended kindergarten and

first grade there. My family moved which of course changed my school. The middle school that I

was zoned for was Yorba Linda Middle School. Majority of my friends transferred with me, but

others transferred to schools that their houses were closer to. Then after that adventure of being a

middle schooler, I became a high school student at El Dorado High School. Throughout my

years in school, I just knew that I wanted to teach children and show them that their schooling

experience should be an adventure. I would never change anything about my school experience. I

attended college at Fullerton Community College until we moved to Idaho where I started at the

College of Western Idaho. My current level of education is a sophomore in college. In high

school, I talked to my teachers and was able to take a class that put me in the field of teaching. I

got to teach in a preschool setting for a school year working three days a week for three hours

each day. When I moved to Idaho, I got the chance to substitute in the West Ada School District.

I loved it so much and I could really see myself being in the special education setting. I got
ABE ESSAY 3

offered a job in a middle school special education department and took the job! I currently work

at Eagle Middle School and I wouldn't change it for the world. This has helped me become a

better teacher because I get to see what I am getting myself into. Becoming a substitute was a

great idea because I got to be in the settings of many different grades and that showed me I want

to be able to get my dual certificate after graduating at Boise State University. The dual program

allows you to teach both general education and special education. I will be able to switch back

and forth depending on what I want to teach that specific year.

Work Experience and/or Extracurricular Activities

As a child growing up, I had an uncle who was special needs. I grew up being with him

every other weekend. Right before his passing, I found out that I had a learning disabilities

myself. It was hard realizing that I had learning disabilities. Both my uncle passing and finding

out that I had learning disabilities, affected my life more than people knew. Because of those

reasons, it made me realize that people learn differently in life and that is okay. I have

experienced many different situations working with children. In California, they placed me in a

class during my senior year in high school where I got to work with children in a preschool. I

loved being in the preschool setting and being able to shadow many of the teachers. I got to see

what type of teaching techniques specific teachers used in order to teach their young students. I

was in charge of specific lessons every week. When I moved to Eagle Idaho, I became a

substitute in the West Ada School District. I was working in the Extended Resource Room

majority of the time since that is where I saw my career path taking me. I did substitute in a

general education first grade classroom and loved every minute of it. Now, I am currently

working in a middle school in an ERR. I have one particular student I work with every day. I do

have to be a great role model because she looks up to me since I am her teacher when she gets to
ABE ESSAY 4

school every day. I am responsible for teaching her certain curriculum and taking data every

week. I have always found myself helping and being a part of group settings. I have always

found joy when helping other people learn and do what they love to do. When I was in high

school, I was the president of a club called Best Buddies. It was where a general education

student paired up with a special needs student and created a bond between the pair. They got to

be invincible and go explore the world together. I was in the club for my three out of four years

in high school. I have always been someone that volunteered my time in helping people. With

these activities, I have learned that I cannot wait to devote my career in teaching and helping

guide children down the right path in their lives.

Ethical Reasoning in Education

All throughout school and even getting a job in the school district, I got to see the

differences in the teaching field. During my high school experience, I did have a math teacher

who was very egocentric. The teacher went into the school year telling parents that if their son or

daughters had a specific teacher the year before, that the student would fail her class. I passed

with a C and only three students passed her class with an A. I just ignored the class and didn’t

think that many teachers would have that attitude in the world. Working in the field, I have seen

a lot of different teaching styles. One great teaching experience that the egocentric math teacher

could learn from is the Kant's Categorical Imperative aspect in Ethical Reasoning. Mr. Wolf, my

English teacher, would teach a lesson and when the students didn’t understand something, he

would take the time to explain the lesson again during his lunch breaks. Mr. Wolf still and will

forever be my favorite teacher throughout my schooling experiences. There are very few teachers

like him today and I strive to be as great of a teacher as he was during my high school

experience. Some teachers are still very eccentric in their own classrooms. They do what they
ABE ESSAY 5

think is the right thing and not what others want. I have been in a classroom where I have seen

this first hand.

Being a substitute in the school district, I got to see many different ways of learning and

teaching styles. I would see how other teachers would interact with their student. Throughout my

life I have realized that you cannot judge a student by how they learn. I know that when I

become a teacher, I will treat all of my students with a positive outlook on the standards given. I

want to teach my students with virtue and have them understand that they should have high

moral standards in life. I aim for my students to ask questions when they do not understand

something. I do think that Ethical Relativism and Utilitarianism do play a part in teaching too.

Ethical Relativism means a moral right or wrong depending on the culture. We are so culturally

diverse now a days, we want students to live by what they believe in life. We are teachers who

are there to teach, not make decisions for our students. I know that when children are taught

something, they get to form their own opinion about subjects. I don’t want to make students hate

something or change the way they feel. Utilitarianism is that if the actions are right and useful,

they are good for the majority of the people. If a bunch of students are learning one way use that

way, but also throw in some other examples for students to use. You want every student to be on

board with your teaching so make sure that there are many different options when teaching your

class. I think there are a lot of lenses that we have to look through when teaching, but those

views I feel are valuable for the way I want to teach in the future.

Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career

Ever since I was about four years old, I have always wanted to be a teacher. The reason

being is I understand that not every child learns the same and that is totally normal. Having my

own disabilities has taught me that even though it may be a challenge in the beginning, we are
ABE ESSAY 6

strong enough to get through it. Once we get through the challenge, it comes easier to us in the

future. Every teacher has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to teaching. I have a couple

different strengths when it comes to teaching. I am patient, bubbly, and understanding. Patience

comes in handy because working with any student, ERR or General Education, if a student

doesn’t understand information that is taught to them, you as a teacher need to go back and

reteach the lesson trying a new method that the students will understand. Having a bubbly

personality while teaching helps more than anyone knows. When teaching you want to get the

students interested in what they are learning. You have to make learning fun and exciting for the

students or they will lose interest and not pay attention to the information needed. I am an

understanding person and I believe that will make me a great teacher as well as all of my other

strengths. In teaching you have to be understanding to students. You want students to be able to

come to you for anything. I have other skills that would not only help me as a teacher, but in

other educational fields too. Even though I do have learning disabilities, I catch onto things

quickly. I am very good at organization. I am very much a people person and love to talk with

others. I could work as an administrator and even at a district office. Having a personality like

mine, I don’t find it hard to get along with others. I am a very passionate person. Once I sent my

mind to something, I have to accomplish the task at hand. I have different skills that are better

suited for careers such as writing or working with mathematics. I could work in an office job or

even pursue a career in journalism if teaching didn’t fit in my future path. I have a love for both

of those subjects, which is why I think I would be a great teacher. I have always found those two

subjects so interesting. Math interests me because there is always a specific way of getting a

correct answer and English because you can express how you are feeling through a piece of

writing. I am so passionate about these subjects that I cannot wait to teach students how to
ABE ESSAY 7

calculate with mathematics and/or show them how to express themselves through writing. I am

so excited to follow my dreams.

Professional Goals

During my lifetime, I have many professional goals I want to accomplish. Currently, my

short-term goals are to graduate from the College of Western Idaho (CWI) with my Associates

Degree. My next long-term goal is to earn my teaching credentials from Boise State University

(BSU). BSU offers a dual major program that will allow me to attain my degree in both general

education and special education. My long-term goal is to get a job as an English teacher in a

middle school in the West Ada School District. In order to attain my long-term goals, I need to

stay on track and complete my short-term goals. In the next six months, I will continue taking

classes at the College of Western Idaho. I have one more year at CWI before I transfer to Boise

State University. I will continue my job at Eagle Middle School for the remainder of the year. I

do hope to be back next year. I am excited that I got the job in the West Ada School District

because it showed me what grades I want to teach and where I want to be in my lifetime. I am

going to continue at the College of Western Idaho so I can progress and soon get my teaching

credentials at Boise State University. I can’t wait to stick to my goals of being a teacher so I can

carry out what I have always wanted to do.

Conclusion

I have had a lot of time to self-reflect about my career choice. I feel that I will be a great

teacher because I have the patience and I have the understanding that not everyone learns at the

same pace or even the same way. I can't wait to look back when I am in my teaching years to see

how my previous work history/extracurricular activities and my educational background have

helped me.