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Personal and Professional Identity

Courtney M. Fulk

Department of Education, Lebanon Valley College

ECE 220: Theory and Practices

Dr. Susan Weiss

October 11, 2022

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My personal and professional identity, in a way, is still something I am creating. Being in

college has helped to expand my views and reshape my identity. Some aspects of my identity are

set in stone and cannot be changed, but other parts are constantly evolving, causing me to take a

closer look at my beliefs and the facts I have been given. I learned that educators are educational

scholars and researchers through theory and practice. I never thought the terms scholar and

researcher would apply to me, but as we talk about what it means to be considered one, I have

realized I am. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. My mom constantly supports me in

everything that I do. She inspired me to become a teacher. Seeing her made me want to make a

change in people's lives. I know that going into the education field will require me to be a

lifelong learner, but I am not looking at it as if I am being forced into it. I am looking at this as a

way to continue my knowledge and help improve the world. One thing I know will never change

in my personal and professional identity is being an advocate for myself and others.

As a scholar, I must note that I am passionate and enthusiastic about teaching. I am also

confident in my skills and knowledge. This will portray to my students by how I handle my

classroom and the materials given to me. Some of my strengths include that I am a hard worker,

creative, and persistent. Using these characteristics, I can think critically and gain more

knowledge about my field. I hope to be able to work with others in my field to create

connections. Hopefully, we can work together to improve our skills, get feedback, and gain new

strategies to take into our classroom.

Like most educators, I want to leave the educational field better than when I enter. I want

to positively impact the educational system and help to make a change. My students should leave

my room knowing I care and gave them the best educational experience possible. My students

must feel that I am putting in effort and teaching them important life skills. If they do not notice,
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they will not feel the need to put effort into our class or work. They may think that if the teacher

does not care, why should I? This mentality is hard to think about because I know students who

think this, so they continue with their lives, not thinking twice about school. If educators can

show that these kids matter and that the material they are looking at matters, they will be more

involved. Taking what I learned throughout college into my future classroom will help provide

an inclusive and accessible environment. I will use my knowledge so that my students have a

safe learning environment. Hopefully, my students will know that my room is always open and

that they can come to me for anything. I aim to bring a change into the school districts I work for

to ensure that everyone is getting the proper education that will help them succeed in life. I will

continue researching ideas to help create better lesson plans and improve previously created

lessons. I will continue to try things until it is successfully completed.

Growing up, my mom always supported me in everything I did. We always hear people

say that teachers do not make money or that we need to get a better career. My mother always

told me that it does not matter how much you make. The only thing that matters is if I am happy

with my job. She says this repeatedly so that I never forget the importance of happiness. My

mom encouraged me to pursue this career. She taught in a high school up until she had my sisters

and I. She lights up when she talks about her past students or time spent teaching. There are

many stories of students reaching out to her and letting her know how much she meant to them

and that she is the reason they got through high school. Seeing this inspired me to go into

teaching because I want to make a change in someone's life and be there for them no matter the

situation. I plan to inspire my students by encouraging them and lifting them up. I want to make

it a point to them that they are capable of more than they believe. I will set reasonable and

achievable goals in my classroom to help them gain confidence in themselves. I want my

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students to see how passionate I am and inspire them to find a profession that interests them and

that they are passionate about.

As education continues to grow, I plan on staying up to date with all the new information.

Everything is constantly changing, and I need to stay in the know if I am a teacher. I plan to

continue my education by picking up courses throughout my career to keep up with current

trends. I will also listen to educational podcasts and continue reading articles. I will also be a

lifelong learner by working with my coworkers and other professionals to see their tactics and

what they do. I want to collaborate with them to provide our students with a better

understanding. Looking into all of this, I wonder how much education will change while I am

teaching. I am also curious about how lesson plans are used, we have learned a lot about how to

create one, but we never discuss how it is used and who sees the plan.

Advocacy is something I have always been highly passionate about. I plan to be an

advocate for anyone who needs me to be, my students, their caregivers, and myself. I believe

everyone should have a voice to fight for what they deserve. For my students, I want to ensure

they are getting the proper education, and I will fight to make sure that it is obtained. I also want

to provide a safe space for all students to come and be at ease. This will help create a better

learning environment and allow students to focus on the tasks handed to them. I will also

advocate for my student's caregivers, I want them to have a voice and an opinion on their

children's education, so I will make sure their voices are heard. To be an advocate for myself, I

will join a teachers union and be active in that, so I stay in the know and have a say. This will be

nice because it will not only help me but also help other educators. I will also be involved in

school meetings to help make thoughtful suggestions when asked so that we can make our school

a better place to work and learn.

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My professional and personal dispositions is still a work in progress, but I was able to

begin defining myself and my beliefs. As I continue my college career, they will continue to

change and become better. Being a teacher who cares and is there for my students is what I

aspire to accomplish. I have always wanted to enter the education field, so to be here now, going

to college for it, is a dream come true. As a scholar, researcher, lifelong learner, educator, and

advocate, I have much to look forward to and prepare for, but I could not be more excited to

embark on this journey.