Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning

Katelyn S Gatliff

Wesleyan College
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My goal for the future is to become the best teacher I can be and to allow my students to

develop a joy for school and learning. I believe that to become a teacher one must obtain the

appropriate degrees, but I would like to be creative in my teachings and allow the students to

know that I am friendly but not a friend. If the students can understand the material and have

fun while learning it, then the teacher is doing a good job. When I become a teacher, I would

like to have virtual activities and allow the material to be taught and connect on a personal level.

If the students can connect on a personal level, then they will be able to see that school is not like

a jail.

Most people can have more than one multiple intelligence. There are seven multiple

intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinetic, spatial-visual,

interpersonal and intrapersonal. In addition, my top three intelligent strengths are logical-

mathematical, musical, and interpersonal. My top three intelligent weakness are intrapersonal,

linguistic, and spatial-visual. According to Joyce McClellan and Gary Conti, “Logical-

mathematical intelligence is having a positive self-concept and life direction which is

intrinsically grounded (Identifying the Multiple Intelligence of Your Students” 2008).”

I feel as if logical-mathematical is my strongest strength. In school, my best class has always

been mathematics. I enjoy how the problems and the number seem to come to life, and how

there can be infinitely many solutions to any problems. Also, I enjoy how there is always a way

to check and find the answer to any math equation. According to Howard Gardner, “This

intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by

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composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners (“The Nine Types of

Intelligence”).” My second strongest intelligence is musical, no matter where I am or what m

doing, I must have music playing in the background, or a song will be on my mind. I have found

out that if I don’t have some sound or music in the background, I cannot concentrate on what I

am doing. When I was younger, I would try and make up my own songs, and I would also try

and mimic the way the Disney princess would sing and dance. In high school I joined chorus, it

was a very fun experience. According to McGrath and Noble, “Interpersonal learners base their

work on the understanding of other people (“Multiple Intelligences” 1995).” My final

intellectual strength is interpersonal. My friends will usually come to me if they need advice or

anything at all. My friends will come to me if they need help with a small dispute or if they need

advice on boys. Even if I don’t feel like I know the answer to the question they have, then I can

try to find and answer to the question, or I ask someone who would know the answer. I am not

an intrapersonal person, I feel as if I already know about myself, considering I am living in my

body. However, I am not very good at learning new languages. I have problems understanding

the grammar and how it works. Also, I have problems with translating the language to English

and back again. Finally, spatial-visual, the hardest way for me to learn is through pictures. I

need to be doing it, in order to learn and retain the information.

Furthermore, my intelligent strengths allow me to obtain my goals much faster. For

instance, when I have the mindset to do well in college, then I will do my best to take better

notes and study more. In mathematics if I get a problem wrong, then I will rework it and keep
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trying to rework it in order to get the correct answer. Also, in my classes when I don’t

understand something, then I will go look up the subject and look up songs. The songs will help

me to remember the material easier. For instance, in anatomy class we found a song about bones

and it allowed me to better remember and retain the bones. So, when it came to our test over

bones and the body parts. I thought of the song and I made a 100, my friend also memorized the

song and made a 100 as well. In addition, if my friends need hep studying or stay on task, they

come to me. I can find ways to study so my friends are able to understand that. I also like to

make up small games for them and allow them to do better on their test. In addition, when my

friends ask me to keep them on task, I take away the most things that distract them and

eventually yell at them if they keep getting off task. They later thanked me and did very well on

their test and quizzes.

In the future, I plan on being more opened minded and learn how to use all the

intelligences to my advantage. I believe by using all my intelligences and by using all types of

learning, then I can better understand the material. In addition, I believe that I would be able to

better teach myself new material quickly. For instance, when I become a teacher, I would like

for all my students to understand what I am teaching. I would then, incorporate many different

intelligences and many different learning styles. This will allow all my students to learn better

and to understand from different perspectives. In addition, when I become older, I do not want

to stop learning. I believe that learning is a never-ending process, and I hope one day students

will understand this thought.

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In addition, within the next few years I plan on finishing college, at Wesleyan College,

then either moving on to grad school or going straight into teaching. If I go into teaching, then I

would prefer to teach at a small private school. I would prefer to teach at a small private school

because then there is a more personal one on one relationship with the students and teacher.

According to Suzanne Capek Tingley, “Class discussions were thoughtful, everyone

participated, and students were able to share and critique one another’s written work (“Teaching

at a Private School: Pros and Cons,” 2017).” One of the pros of teaching at a private school is

that the class sizes are small enough that the class can give feedback on one another’s opinions.

Once I have a steady job, I hope to be engaged and then soon married. When I am married and

have a house of my own. Then, I could have children; when I have children, the they could go

to the private school which I am working at, then they could get a good education at a lowered

price.

Furthermore, a few overarching purposes are finish college, consider grad school and

find a job. By finishing college, I am one step closer to becoming a teacher. Once I decide if I

would like to go to grad school, I need to apply to different programs. Once I get accepted into a

grad school I can start in my master’s degree. I would also like to get a Specialist in Science and

Mathematics. I prefer to teach Mathematics and Science and make it fun to learn and remember

for the students. After graduation from a grad school, then I could focus on finding a job. I

would prefer to work at a private school although they do not always pay more.
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In addition, the steps that I must take immediately is to finish college. First, I must finish

this semester n college. I must pass my finals as well as my classes and make a schedule for my

next semester. When I am making a schedule, I need to be able to balance my general education

classes with the classes that is required by the education major and a mathematics minor. Once I

can make a schedule and move back into my dorm. I need to plan out my semester and write

down when my major assignments are and learn how to plan better. Also, I need to try and not

procrastinating my work. I plan on getting a head start on the work that I can and look on my

syllabi along with my agenda. According to Henrik Edberg, there are seven steps to stop

procrastinating which are: stop thinking. Stop doing, don’t blow a task out of proportion, just

take the first step, start with the hardest task of your day, just plan. Any decision face your fear

and finish it (“How to Stop Procrastinating: 7 Timeless Tips 2006). Once I cannot procrastinate,

I can then get be more productive, not only in college, but in life too. For instance, if I cannot

procrastinate in college then, when I am teaching and need to grade papers and make test. If I do

stop procrastinating, then I can get the assignments graded within a day or two, plus make my

assessments at the beginning of the semester and not at the end.

Finally, my lifelong goal is to become the best teacher I can be and to make school fun.

Even thought, there is no standard to what makes a good teacher a good teacher. I believe that a

good teacher needs to not only educate students but embrace the material. As a future educator,

I plan to transform my classroom to the lesson itself. I would like to bring the magic into the

classroom. I would like to transform the classroom and the learning experience for the students.
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In addition, my top three intelligences are intelligent strengths are logical-mathematical,

musical, and interpersonal. While my top three intelligent weakness are intrapersonal,

linguistic, and spatial-visual. My strengths allow me to reach my goals much faster. In

addition, I hope that one day I will be able to use all the intelligences to my advantage. Soon I

hope to graduate college and finding a job at a private school. A few of my overarching

purposes is to finish college and consider grad school. To become a good teacher, one must start

with a plan, and then execute the plan, and finally one will have the reward.

Appendix

“Most people, are able to have more than one multiple intelligence.”

I still agree that most people do have more than one multiple intelligence. However, I do not

think that it is the best way for a teacher to teach. In my experience in the field, most teachers do

not use the multiple intelligence strategies. Most teachers try to cater to the different learning

styles: linguistic, auditory, and kinesthetic. When students take notes, I prefer to say what we are

writing, then write it down, and finally allow the student to draw a picture to help them

remember. This process seems to help the students to remember what we have talked about

weeks after the lesson. I try to allow all three of the learning styles to be incorporated in my

teaching style.

“I have found out that if I don’t have some sound or music in the background, I cannot

concentrate on what I am doing.”

This seems true for most students, when I was teaching my units in the Fall of 2019, I played

music for the students while they were working, and it was magical. As soon as the music started
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playing the sound level of the students went down drastically. Music helps the students

concentrate on the task at hand and it allows noise control and behavioral problems decreased.

“Finally, spatial-visual, the hardest way for me to learn is through pictures. I need to be doing it,

in order to learn and retain the information.”

“If I go into teaching, then I would prefer to teach at a small private school.”

Being in six host schools that were all public schools, my mind has changed. I came from a

private high school and I loved the idea of small classes. However, I have noticed how grateful

the students are in public schools versus private schools. The students seem to need more from a

teacher in public school and have a better connection. With more experience I no longer mind

that classroom size. Also, I feel like I have more freedom in my teaching and my classroom in a

public school. Also, in most of the public schools I have been in I have noticed that a lot of the

teachers prefer to plan collaboratively.

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Works Cited Page

Tingley, S. C. (2017, April 21). Teaching at a Private School: Pros and Cons. Retrieved April 29,

2017, from https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/teaching-private-school-pros-and-cons

Edberg, H. (2006). How to Stop Procrastinating: 7 Timeless Tips. Retrieved April 29, 2017, from

http://www.positivityblog.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating-7-timeless-tips/

McClellan, J. A., & Conti, G. J. (2008). Identifying the multiple intelligences of your students.

Journal of Adult Education, 37(1), 13-32D. Retrieved from http://proxygsu-

wes1.galileo.usg.edu.wesleyancollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.

wesleyancollege.idm.oclc.org/docview/204493614?accountid=14961

Gardner, H. (N.d.). The Nine Types of Intelligence. Retrieved April 29,2017. From

http://skyview.vansd.org/lschmidt/Projects/The%20Nine%20Types%20of%20Intelligenc

e.htm

McGrath & Noble (1995). Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved April 29, 2017. From

http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2008/multipleintel/interfr.html