Educational Autobiography
My interest in teaching others started at a young age. Old family photos and movies are filled with memories of playing school with my younger sister. I would make a "desk" from a big board book and a Lincoln Longs tub and read and teach her to write. I have always enjoyed helping others and I have always been a curious and creative person. Though I loved playing school, school was not always my favorite place. Somewhere during my time in elementary school I began to struggle and I was too shy to reach out for help. I skimmed by throughout my later years in elementary school. I feel that though I had some great teachers in my years of being in school, I also had some teachers who did not see me, and I wasn't given the help that I needed it. They did not make me feel safe, secure, or smart. I found myself constantly nervous and uncomfortable because I didn't know the answers. I believed that being a teacher meant knowing everything and being "super smart". When it came time for me to go to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I didn't feel as if I the ability to excel in any one area. I went to a local community college for Liberal Arts and decided I would try some things out. After one semester of General Ed. classes, I decided to take a class in a couple of subjects to see what struck my interest. I took a class in biology, a communications class, and an education 101 class. The class that I found myself most interested in was the education class. It was a class all about early childhood evacuation and the growth, development and education of young children. Soon, I found myself in my last semester at my community college sitting in an Education course with three acceptance letters from SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, and SUNY Cortland. I was receiving my Associate degree in Child Studies and I wanted to move on to bigger things to grow as a student and a future teacher. I honestly never saw myself as a teacher after a few years of playing with my sister. I didn't think I had what it took. I went to SUNY Cortland where I knew I would receive the best education possible to become a great teacher for all children. It was at Cortland that I learned that teachers are more than just "smart". It takes care, passion, creativity, curiosity, and patience to be a teacher. Those qualities will help you learn all you need to be a teacher. I will use what I have learned from SUNY Cortland, SUNY Suffolk and my personal experiences as a child in school to make sure all students feel safe and understood in a happy, comfortable, and curiosity-driven environment.