Autobiography of Schooling

I firmly believe that a good education is the cornerstone to a fulfilling and productive life. Furthermore, education is the most important indicator for an individual’s future health, wellness and overall well-being as an adult. Different experiences from my past have helped build my idea of what an effective teacher is. More importantly these experiences have helped me to decide the type of teacher I wish to become. It is these personal encounters both in and out of school that has ultimately led to my decision to pursue teaching as my profession. It is extremely important for teachers to foster a classroom environment that encourages students to strive to do their best and facilitates continual growth. I plan to create this classroom environment by ensuring that each student is comfortable with their abilities and the abilities of others. My undergraduate transcript which is made up of mediocre to failing grades provides a clear picture of myself as a student. It was evident I was a poor student not achieving to the best of my ability. What my transcript does not show was the struggles behind my grades. With the idea of school came the feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Fear of walking into a classroom, and uncertainty of not knowing the correct answers. Looking back I wish I realized the only way to participate did not consist solely of raising your hand with the correct answer, but could simply be raising your hand to ask a question. Many of my classes both in high school and college were run based around The Socratic Method . In this method the teacher calls on student’s randomly; cold calling on them. I began to associate class with fear and anxiety because of this. I would never be found sitting in the front of the classroom, but instead hiding in the back. It was not that I was not prepared, I just never had the confidence in myself that the answers were correct. My experiences as a student have made me aware of the different emotions and fears student’s may have associated with school. This has greatly shaped the way I wish to run my classes. Something my teachers could have done differently would be using the No Opt Out Method. This method encourages students to participate and be involved, but not by putting student’s on the spot. Students are called on randomly, but first the teacher gives them the opportunity to discuss their answers over with their classmates in small groups. This way student’s are less likely be scared when answering the question. Acceptance, individuality and tolerance I realize that the path to success is not always the easiest, and that teaching is certainly not the easiest profession. However, reflecting on past personal educational experiences, I now see that teachers must never lose sight of those who sit before them, where they come from and all that they have to offer. It is not that a student cannot learn; it is that a student cannot learn in the manner that they are being taught. As early back as I can remember, I have always struggled with my ability to learn. My grades on assessments and standardized tests never reflected the knowledge I had of the content and material that I was being tested on. In seventh grade, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. I received a personalized IEP and have been struggling to overcome my learning disability ever since. Because of my personalized IEP plan came I was placed into college prep level classes which were run at a slower pace. These classes did not provide a great environment for learning. They consisted of students with all different types of learning disabilities, as well as students with behavior issues. Although I have had to work twice as hard as my peers and study twice as long, I have been able to overcome this hardship and through these experiences become inspired to help others learn as well. A positive and accepting classroom environment can change a student’s outlook and in turn, a child’s life. I will always adapt and modify my lessons for the various learning styles of the students in my class. There are various methods and learning styles that must always be taken into consideration when teaching a lesson. Teachers must possess the ability to “think outside the box” and view problem in different ways in order to find a solution. As a future teacher, I will continually adapt my teaching styles to meet the diverse needs of my students, using a variety of learning styles during each lesson. With this, it is the responsibility of a teacher to guarantee an environment in which each student can excel to achieve their personal goals as well as achieve the best of their abilities. If they continually receive the wrong answers, perhaps they are being asked the wrong questions. Every student is unique and special. Therefore, every student learns slightly differently from one another. Knowing that all lessons may be tailored to each student’s needs, both in the gym and in the classroom, is essential to successfully reach all students. Sports have always provided me with self-motivation, diligence and perseverance to overcome many of the challenges that life has thrown at me. Competitive sports have taught me to be a team player, to fight for what I want and to play for the better good of my team. Within my community I joined women’s sports leagues such as volleyball, soccer, and tennis. Most importantly, actively participating in sports has allowed me to take a proactive role in my overall wellness in order to stay fit and healthy as an adult. Therefore, as a future Health and Physical Education teacher, it is important not only to educate students, but to make learning enjoyable in the process. Additionally, it is important to encourage them to overcome any hurdles that they may encounter so that they can retain the information and achievements throughout their lifetimes. It is important to remember that students’ success, at every level, is essential and greatly dependent upon the teacher. With this, physical fitness activities which enable students to meet their personal fitness needs, must be emphasized. My objective as a future Health and Physical Education teacher is for all students’ experiences to contribute to the development of positive attitude toward physical fitness and positive self-esteem, to be carried throughout the student’s life and adulthood. Those chosen few who strive to make a difference as an educator of tomorrow, play an essential role in the lives of children. I am one of those few ready to take on the challenge of contributing to such a significant and important cause.