AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 1

Autobiographical Essay

Maria Rodriguez

Professor Rapley

EDUC 120 Foundations of Education

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Introduction

Preparing to become a teacher takes a lot of thought of how and why you want to become

a teacher. You have to think about what further education is needed in order to become an

educator and think about what you did and did not like growing up with an assortment of

teachers. These are things that have crossed my mind and has influenced my decision of taking

this pathway. Taking into consideration jobs you have or had is good to see what kind of skills

you got from them that would be able to be applied to your intended career. There will be things

you may not agree with but have to support. Researching common problems has helped me see

two sides to a situation in education. For me, being at teacher is about preparing kids for their

future and I feel qualified to do so based on my experiences.

Educational Background

I attended Mountain View Elementary School in Garden City for Kindergarten. I then

switched over to Reed Elementary in Kuna for first through sixth grade. When I attended middle

school, I went to Kuna Middle School, which was grades seventh and eighth. After I attended

Mountain View High School in Meridian, for ninth and tenth grade. I finished off my last two

years at Kuna High School. I currently have my high school diploma and have twenty-seven

college credits from high school. At Kuna High School both years, I had the chance to be a part

of the work-based learning class. This class consisted of going to an elementary school of my

choice and helping the teacher and students. I was able to teach students math, read to them, and

prepared the kids for spelling tests. It was helpful towards getting my toes in the water for my

career choice of being an elementary teacher. I have not yet had the chance to experience being

in a special program. The education I have received has been from very great teachers. Most of

my math teachers gave me options on how to solve problems which helped me want to be a
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teacher that can give options and not force a student to learn only one way. Other teachers have

built relationships with me and other students, providing a comfortable classroom, where you are

not “just a student”. This concept inspired me most, because some teachers get students and do

not get to know them, and I think knowing your students is the best way to get them engaged in

learning. One last big thing were the teachers who did not help or showed they cared. Those

teachers inspired me not to be like them, because that is when students do not feel comfortable

and dread going to school. Not helping, does not allow your students to learn to their full

potential, and not caring does not give a student the feeling of comfort they need.

Work History Service and/or Extracurricular Activities

My first job was as a babysitter/tutor for three kids. I would pick up kids from their bus

stop and then help them mainly with their math homework. After they moved away, I started a

job through a temporary agency at A.E.S (An Employment Source), which gave me the

opportunity to experience different jobs. The first job I got was four years ago, at Extramile

Arena (Taco Bell Arena), this job consists of cleaning after games and concerts that occur at the

arena. Eventually I got hired on and work still work through Boise State University. After a year

into this job, A.E.S got me into another job at Barber Park, which is seasonal, and I have worked

the past three seasons. I communicated with many people each day and was in charge of

handling parking fees. A.E.S. also got me into a job a year ago, at a store called Kidz Again,

which I was also hired onto after the minimum of ninety days working through A.E.S. At this job

I hang/tag clothes and communicate with customers helping them find what they are looking for.

I believe these jobs have continuously given me the ability to become a professional

educator. I have learned to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people, which is

what educators do every day. I have also learned how to get tasks done in a timely manner. As a
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teacher you must be able to work on a schedule to ensure daily tasks are done between the start

of the school day to the end, to make sure your students stay on track. Lastly, I have learned how

to build relationships with others, I grew up being very shy, and since I have been working, I

have come out of my shell.

Ethical Reasoning in Education

An ethical dilemma in schools is the battle between a requirement for school uniforms or

not. People who support school uniforms, believe that this can help prevent students from

wearing inappropriate attire to school. They also believe it helps with safety of schools, if

everybody is wearing the same thing then it is easy to spot an oddball out. Another thing that

puts people for uniforms is, some children have “distracting hair or attire” leading to other

students being distracted from their learning. People who oppose to school uniforms believe that

it takes away a child’s expression of their personality and that it does not impact the education

they receive. These people recognize that children need safety, but most school uniforms can be

purchased anywhere, which anybody can get. Most people on this side agree with a dress code,

which prevents inappropriate attire from being worn. This has been an ongoing argument since I

have been in school and I personally go for the side of no uniforms. Most private schools and a

few public schools have requirements for school uniforms locally. Every other school has dress

codes, which is what I believe needs to be in place when school uniforms are not required.

The first approach to a solution would be the egoism orientation. Under this fits,

“Epistemologically: Each person is best suited to know his or her own best interests,” kids

should be trusted to know what attire is appropriate for school. Setting a dress code can guide

what they wear, but still allowing them to make decisions that they will have to make in the

future. The point is that students will learn from how they act and as long as it does not harm
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them or others, then they should be free to learn for themselves. Most people would agree with

the guidelines of dress codes at schools, so that is a set limit but still allows them to learn what is

in their best interest. Although they are young children, it is the best time to learn from mistakes

without costing them an internship, a job, or a lifelong career. If they abuse the freedom by going

against dress code, then they will face consequences just like any other case of rules being

broken.

The next approach is ethical relativism orientation. This has to do with people’s cultures,

values, and moral. People have their own cultures, and when it comes to students expressing

themselves, they should be able to wear what suits them. Insight on this is, “Sometimes

reasonable people differ on what is morally acceptable” this meaning that sometimes students

who are respectful of rules, get good grades, still may seem to be the greatest person, in this case

because of what they wear. There are some cultures who may have girls who wear long skirts for

example, but with an uniform that would be “khaki pants or khaki skirts”, then they would be

forced to go against their cultural beliefs. Again, with a dress code we can ensure everybody

wears clothes that are overall considered appropriate, and then they can go from there with their

cultural beliefs of attire. Right and wrong differ amongst the diverse group of students (mainly

parents because they usually do the approval of clothing a kid wears). It may seem right to have

boys wear jeans, but in others eyes it may seem wrong to have boys wear jeans to school over

khaki pants. With a dress code, not school uniforms, children will still be able to express

themselves and their culture, without being inappropriate.

Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career

I should be a teacher in k-12 because I am able to connect with kids. I have the

understanding that students are learning so as a teacher you must break down meanings and
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reasoning’s of why answers are what they are. I believe education is one of the most important

things that can be available to people. I have already had experience helping in an elementary

school, teaching kids math, spelling, and reading. Along with this, I have had the opportunity to

tutor three elementary kids for over a year helping with all subjects. I think this is an important

skill to already have before becoming a teacher because I already know how they think and act. I

also have already had experience tutoring in high school, teaching students new ways to

approach subjects they struggled in. I believe this is an important skill to already have as well

because as a teacher you want to go in knowing how to connect with students of all ages. At this

point I want to be an elementary teacher but later down the road I may decide to be a high school

teacher, so having the experience and knowledge is important. I also have the skill that is one of

the most important as a teacher, to be patient with kids who act out. As a teacher you should

always have an open mind to reason with kids actions. Calmly explaining what they did wrong is

not okay and coming up with a collaborative solution with them can also build trust.

Being able to connect and build trust with students is an important skill to possess

being in an education field aside from teaching. I am also able to communicate well when it

comes to addressing problems. I am a team player and can collaborate along with be open to new

ideas from other educators. I believe I have a likeable personality as well; I am able to adapt to

the diversity of people. If I were not going into teaching, I think I would go into social work,

because some skills I have is the ability to listen and have compassion. I enjoy helping others to

the best of my ability.

Professional Goals

After getting my associates at College of Western Idaho, I plan on going to Boise State

University to complete the Elementary Education Program. I do not want to move away, and I do
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not want to pay a lot of money towards private schools which is why I chose Boise State. I set a

goal of getting my associates degree by fall semester of 2020/2021. To do this I am taking

seventeen credits currently, which leaves me with twenty-nine credits to take in the next two

semesters. This is about fourteen credits for both semesters. After I do this, I will apply to Boise

State to finish off. One of my biggest goals during this process is to graduate debt free, after

being inspired by one of my high school teachers who achieved this while getting her doctorate

degree. Lastly, I want to get in class experience before applying to the BSU education program.

My short-term goal to plan for Boise State is to meet with my advisor to ensure I take all

classes possible at CWI before planning my transfer to BSU. This November I will register for

about fourteen credits worth of classes and then I will do the same for Fall 2020/2021 semester.

In order to graduate debt free, I will continue to apply for scholarships and working. As soon as

more scholarships are available for next year, I will apply. The reason I would like to graduate

debt free is so I can be a teacher in a lower paying district without being worried about student

loans. I know many lower paying districts struggle to get teachers, leaving the kids with large

classes and not enough access to help. Lastly, in order to get experience, I will volunteer at an

elementary school that is close to me until I get into the program at BSU.

In conclusion, becoming a teacher does not just happen overnight. You have to

experience the good and bad teachers to know what kind of teacher you want to be. I have

learned that I want to be a teacher that is always there to help students, even ones that are falling

behind rather than leave them behind. I want to ensure that each student gets a fair opportunity to

learning, and never feels left out or discouraged at the thought of going to school. I know I have

a lot to learn still but I feel my jobs and past classes have given me a leap into the skills I need to

become a successful educator.