Autobiographical Essay

Barbara Blair

EDUC 120: Foundations of Education

Damaris Wight

Spring 2023
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Autobiographical Essay

Introduction

When I was a child, I was naive to think that once I completed school, I would be

done learning. In fact, most of what I would consider to be my education came from being an

adult, experiencing life and the everyday challenges that I face. School taught me how to be

academically successful, however, life outside of the curriculum provided far more education

and has molded and inspired me to become the teacher I know I am meant to be.

Educational Background

While attending Pierce Park Elementary, I participated in the fourth-grade spelling bee

and came second out of all the fourth graders in my school. If I knew anything then, it was that I

knew I could spell any word thrown at me and I did, all the way to the final round. The last word

was “bologna.” My opponent had been asked to spell the word first and had misspelled it “b-a-l-

o-n-e-y.” Then it was my turn, and I was also asked to spell “bologna.” I did the only sensible

thing I could think of; I grinned and repeated, “Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-

a.” I knew this was correct and that I had won. However, my teacher then informed me that I was

not able to sing the word and had been disqualified. How had I been so wrong in getting it right?

I had only related what I had already learned and applied it to properly spelling the word. I lost a

little bit of trust in my teacher that day and lost confidence in performing well. From that point

forward, there was a spark of doubt that had been planted within me and it would continue to

evolve over the remainder of my school years.

When I had attended Riverglen Junior High, I felt like I had finally found somewhere I

thrived. I had found a team of educators that if you were to ask me, truly did their best to provide

me the best learning experience they could. It felt like a community that was centered around it’s
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students’ success and I felt seen as a student. Unfortunately, that flame of curiosity and wonder

was quickly snuffed upon entering Capital High School. High school for me was an endless blur

of monotonous and mundane schoolwork. Most of my teachers were juggling too many students

and it was easy to fall through the cracks. Math teachers stopped trying to help me understand

the problem after one attempt. Science teachers were either too strict on the curriculum or

showed up high on prescription pills and had us watch Theory of Evolution for the fourth time

that week. I had started sophomore year a straight A student but by my senior year I was sitting

in an office with the vice principal being told that I would be lucky if I graduated at that point.

The last few weeks of that school year was one of the biggest challenges I faced. I felt like I was

sprinting, trying to pull it together enough to get my diploma. It wasn’t until after I graduated,

that I really started to wonder what it was all for. I had always been told high school would

prepare me for my future, but I often found myself buried under mountains of anxiety and

homework to strive to be the best and get into the best school. I wish I had known then, what I

know now. Education is more than what is taught in a classroom.

Work History Service and/or Extracurricular Activities

In Junior High and High school, I was on the volleyball team. I was about 6’ then, so I

was automatically given a spot on the team, despite my obvious lack of coordination. I trained

hard and developed my skills. I learned many lessons that could only be taught on the court.

From using my voice and effectively communicating, to analyzing a situation and strategizing

with only a moment’s notice, the sport had taken me from an awkward, shy girl and brought me

out of my shell. However, I was naïve in relying mostly on my height to continue to get me on

the team and found myself kicked from the team my senior year because I was unable to attend
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the recommended volleyball camps due to my family’s financial situation. This blow became one

of my first experiences on the reality of how money can influence position.

The first few jobs I held were entry level positions ranging from cashier in a restaurant, to

rehabilitative staff for kids with disabilities. I was still a teenager when I had these jobs and so,

from a young age, I experienced how society treats those in customer service or that differ from

them. Whether it was being yelled at by a middle-aged man because his ravioli didn’t have the

proper amount of cheese or watching a group of women roll their eyes at a boy with autism clean

up his spilled drink on the floor next to them, it was clear that they saw my job and the work I

did as beneath them. What they don’t know is that I learned quality control and patience from

these experiences and the benefits of a thick skin if I was to continue this path.

If there is anything I learned working in a call center for several years, it’s that there is a

science to handling people. I don’t mean Biology. “People skills” is what it is usually referred to.

I learned how to manipulate speech so I could better control a situation. Along with that, I was

taught basic business skills, which could be applied to any business model no matter the

company. I was given the opportunity to help others develop their own skills to become

successful themselves. Through that opportunity, I found a desire hidden deep within to help

teach and develop young minds to be able to reach their own goals and show them what they are

capable of.

Ethical Reasoning in Education

On November 30th, 2022, I had received a text message from my employer that I was

being laid off. I had had my suspicions that it was going to happen, so the news, despite its

delivery, was not a shock to me. What was a shock, was the fact that I was a student, and this

impacted every piece of my life in that moment. When filing for unemployment, during my
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interview, I had been asked if I had any appointments or scenarios where I would not be

available 100% of the time during the upcoming weeks. After admitting I attended a night class

from 5:30pm – 7:20pm, I was informed that I would not be eligible to receive pay for the weeks I

attended school. On the other hand, I had been denied food stamps because I was a student and

not working the minimum hours required to receive the benefits. I suddenly found myself

questioning whether I should ethically continue or find the loopholes and cheat the system.

Egoism is the name of the devil on my shoulder in this scenario. It sat there, whispering

self-proclamations of entitlement. I remember thinking, “I’m a good student, an upstanding

citizen and pay my taxes early. Why am I being punished for bettering myself?” I felt defeated

and hopeless as I searched for any kind of assistance for students but came up empty handed. I

kept thinking students should be able to receive those benefits if they are able to provide proof

that they are independent. Of course, the rules and laws are set in place to create a standard for

the average person to receive unemployment.

The angel on my other shoulder was the epitome of Virtue Ethics. People in my life that

knew of my situation provided their opinions and advice for navigating the system. “Make sure

you don’t mention you are a student in your interview.” “Just fill out the form each week and say

you didn’t attend class. How will they know you are lying?” I had come to a fork in my moral

path. Do I continue to tell the truth and jeopardize losing needed funds? Lies and deceit were

tempting tactics to get easy gain of what I needed. However, I had read enough news articles

about people trying to swindle the government to know it was not worth risking.

Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career

It took a great deal of time and experience for me to realize teaching was something I

wanted to pursue. I was repulsed by the education system; my last few years remaining in high
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school were something I repressed deep into the back of my mind. However, a couple of years

ago, I was living with my then seven-year-old niece. She has always been unique with her

language and has had struggles to communicate with people. Everyone always made a big fuss

about her being delayed and the challenge it was to help her study because she never followed

their instructions. However, I would ask her questions that would guide her along but promoted

her to think for herself. When it came to math homework, My Little Pony and Bluey became her

subjects to help understand the concepts of adding and subtracting. By approaching the subject

with something she could more appropriately relate it to, she was better at developing the

understanding of the concept and how it applied to her. After much consideration, I realized I

had the ability to help more than just my niece discover the skills to overcome the challenges we

endure.

I remember a significant moment in my childhood where I realized that I didn’t feel like a

child anymore. It was in the sixth grade, when we were assigned kindergarten buddies. We

would sit and play with them during recess or help with a crafting project. My creativity and

imagination were reignited in those moments. It made me sad to realize that growing up meant

losing more and more of that feeling. I always felt an expectation to perform to a higher level so

I would be “promoted” to the next grade. The lesson plans felt more like training for the “real

world” than inspiring the next generation for deeper thinking.

Professional Goals

My senior year of high school, I made the mistake of delaying required credits to

graduate and became overloaded and burnt out. When I started back at college in the summer of

2022, my goal was to complete certain subjects first, to avoid burn out and have classes to look

forward to. At the end of my current semester, I will have completed all my required math
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classes for my degree. Something I maintained was a necessity due to my long-lasting struggle

with numbers. Along with that, I will be working on completing my history classes over the

summer and fall semesters, while working full time. Luckily my employer is flexible with my

school schedule and has become my cheerleader during long days of work and study. I will also

be completing the remainder of my education classes at College of Western Idaho during this

time. This pace will see me receiving my associate degree by Spring of 2024, the end of one

chapter and the beginning of another.

Leaving College of Western Idaho will be like losing a lifeline. For almost ten years, I

have felt at home and among friends. I’ve never been close to leaving College of Western Idaho,

so the thought of transferring never seemed plausible. If I’m being honest, I haven’t put as much

thought into where I would like to attend as much as classes I would like to take. I will most

likely attend Boise State University but may attend Utah State University, where I will work

towards my degree in Secondary Education. I will also be simultaneously working towards

minors in American Sign Language and History to utilize as an educator as well. To do this, I

will most likely still be working full time and taking advantage of every available resource my

school has to offer to help me get the work done.

Conclusion

When I decided to go back to school, I was met with an outpour of love and support from

friends and family. Each person congratulating me and providing words of encouragement to get

me started back on my journey. It was in that moment that I felt things had been set in motion for

me, like I had found my path again after being lost. I was excited where I might end up.