AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 1

Autobiographical Essay

Tricia M. Cook

Professor Damaris Wight

EDUC 120 Foundations of Education

Fall 2020
Introduction

I have always admired teachers and the hard work they do to educate the future generation. It

has taken me some time to get to the stage in my life where I know what I want to be when I

grow up. My purpose is to become an educator, specifically teaching children in the lower grade

levels. I have spent time volunteering in classrooms, and I have worked in elementary schools.

My teachers have pushed me to excel and I have great goals set in place to become the teacher

that the next generation needs.

Educational Background

I attended elementary school, first grade through sixth grade at Greenwood Elementary in La

Grande, Oregon. I continued to La Grande Middle School for seventh grade. For eighth and ninth

grades, I attended South Junior High in Boise, Idaho. My secondary education continued at

Borah High School in Boise, Idaho. I attended Boise State University in Boise, Idaho for a

couple of semesters. My education was then put on hold for several years. I am now attending

the College of Western Idaho based in Nampa, Idaho.

In elementary school, I attended the Talented and Gifted program. This was taught once per

week. I was involved in this during my fourth and sixth grade years. During sixth grade, I was

also part of a peer mentor program, known as “Book Buddies.” Sixth grade students would

mentor second grade students by reading together.

During my senior year at Borah High School, I was part of the elementary teacher aide

program where I worked with a first-grade teacher for two class periods each day. I learned a lot

about patience and understanding from this class.

I have had some wonderful teachers throughout my education. My fourth-grade teacher

encouraged a love of reading by letting me choose which books I read. My high school Western
Civilization teacher taught me that history could be interesting, fun, and scandalous. She held her

class to a high standard. I learned how to take proper notes from her. These teachers, and others

believed that I could do the work and encouraged me to do my best. They made learning fun

while also challenging. It makes a big difference when a teacher can relate to a student and I will

strive to be like the teachers who have left an impression on me many years later.

Work History Service and/or Extracurricular Activities

My work history includes restaurants, retail, office, and tourism jobs. My most recent job

pertains the most to my career as a future educator. I am a title one tutor at an elementary school

in the Boise School District. I help small groups of students in kindergarten through sixth grade

with reading, writing, and critical thinking. Prior to this, I worked as a playground supervisor. I

have learned many techniques for conflict resolution. I am fair with the students and explain why

they must follow the rules.

My work experiences make me a good candidate as a professional educator. When I used to

give tours at Mount Vernon, a lot of it was reciting facts. We had a lot of students come through.

Most of the time they were in a hurry. I can only hope they absorbed some of the information.

The great moments came from the smaller tour group moments or times I was working on the

farm or at the tomb. Connecting with a visitor to address their questions was very fulfilling.

Mount Vernon doesn’t hide the fact that George Washington owned slaves. This can cause some

controversy among visitors. I remember one time a visitor asked me about this. Fortunately, the

visitor was not aggressive. I was able to have a frank discussion with him about life in the

eighteenth century. It was not only a teaching experience, but a learning experience as well.
In my current job, I work with children from a lot of different backgrounds, racial groups,

religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. I had one student who was insistent on

making my job difficult. I didn’t take it personally. I took a moment to get to know him as a

person and connect with him on mutual interests. Another student has a physical disability and

requires a lot of attention. He is a very happy, friendly, and likeable child. He likes to walk

around with me. The other students accept him and like to play with him. I will often talk to him

for a few minutes, then bring him to a friend to play with. This way he gets that personal

attention and the opportunity to play with friends. I think it’s mutually beneficial for him to play

with his peers. He learns how to adapt, and they learn compassion.

Throughout my son’s education, I have volunteered in his classroom. When he was in

preschool and lower grades, I was in the classroom quite a bit. I made photocopies, laminations,

and displays. I also worked with small groups with math, reading, and writing. I have been a

member of the PTA serving as president, treasurer, secretary, and in various committees. For five

years, I was an assistant den leader for Cub Scouts. I worked with first through fifth grade scouts.

In Cub Scouts, I helped kids learn real life skills. By being in the classroom through different

grades, I have picked up on their lessons and different teaching styles. I have observed different

ways to correct unwanted behavior and praise exceptional behavior. I am comfortable working

with small groups. All these experiences have helped me learn how to teach and how to relate to

children.

Ethical Reasoning in Education

I was never very athletic. Sports and running never came easy for me. When I was in

elementary school, we had gym class or physical education every day. I dreaded going to gym. I

was always one of the last picked for sports teams. I was never able to run the mile in an
acceptable amount of time. It was embarrassing for those of us non-athletes. I believe gym class

would have been a good time to teach virtue. If the gym teacher picked teams for everyone, there

would be more balance. One team would not have an excess of good players. By making great

athletes play on a team with less athletic students, everyone would benefit. Good athletes would

work in capacities of coaches and help their peers to become better. Knowing how to make a

good team is not only important in sports, it is important in all areas of life. Doing what is good

and helpful is more meaningful than being the best at a task.

In high school, I had a biology teacher who got annoyed easily. He taught some valuable

lessons from single celled organisms to reproduction. One lesson that stands out is a lesson we

did on germs and bacteria. We had to take an agar covered petri dish and either swab a surface

with a cotton swab or wipe something directly on to the dish such as a pencil. After the dishes

had time to sit and grow the bacteria, we were going to evaluate the results. A few students were

talking a lot and being disruptive. The teacher decided to take away everyone’s petri dishes

before we could look at them. The whole class was punished for the poor decisions of a few.

Utilitarianism would dictate this to be wrong. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a

few. Instead of taking away our learning experience, he should have called the few disruptors

aside and allowed the rest of us to continue learning.

Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career

I think I should be a teacher in an elementary school. Being around children and helping them

reach their potential gives me great joy and purpose. Teaching is a rewarding career. My

patience is a strong point. I can sit with a student and help them through their thought process

until they are able to understand. My goal is to teach them how to learn. I have empathy for

others. Kids come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. I am able to look beyond
biases to help the student with compassion. I am always looking for ways to help and ways to

connect and relate to children.

A trait that I have that may be better suited for other occupations would be that I can be a bit

sensitive. It doesn’t hurt my feelings if a student tells me, “I don’t like you,” but if a parent were

to say that to me, it might make me feel bad. It usually isn’t personal, but rather the situation. I

believe it is something to work on in order to become a stronger person.

Professional Goals

My long-term goal is to continue to a four-year university to get my teaching certificate. I am

interested in teaching lower elementary school from kindergarten to second grade. I would also

like to learn more about teaching English as a second language and different special education

programs available. Learning another language is a good long-term goal. I know some Spanish.

My goal is to take a refresher course and a conversation course in order to speak and understand

more Spanish. This will help with students who are learning English and to converse with

parents who don’t speak English.

A short-term goal I have is to finish my first year at the College of Western Idaho. Another

goal is to do some in person or online classroom observations. Completing college prep

mathematics is another short-term goal. This is a prerequisite for mathematics for elementary

teachers. My last short-term goal is to take a child psychology class. This is important because I

think it will help me relate better with young children, especially those from an unstable

background.
Conclusion

These are some of the many reasons why I want to become an educator. My life experiences

make me an understanding, patient, and compassionate person who wants to help children

succeed. I will strive to become a great educator like the teachers who pushed me to do my best

and the teachers I work with today who never give up on their students. My short- and long-term

goals will make me successful.