Professional Autobiography

Professional Autobiography

Education is meant to contribute to the betterment of society. To truly educate, I believe teachers
must make academic achievement and content knowledge a high priority. Students must be
taught critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. They need to learn how to work
collaboratively and creatively. But, beyond that, teachers must also help develop the social and
emotional needs of their students. Children come to school with a great deal of baggage. By
having the skills to build positive relationships with others and by being able to manage
challenges, students will be better equipped to focus on learning. Teachers have a big job—to
educate and care for so many students. Because of this, I feel we need to continue our education
throughout our careers. It is necessary to make learning a lifelong process in order to best serve
all of our students.
I graduated from Alliance High School in 1997. I decided to attend Chadron State College
because I was told it was the best “teacher-college,” and I felt teaching was my calling. After all
these years, I am still very happy with my decision, as I love going to work every day.
I decided to do my student teaching in Fort Collins, Colorado. I have always loved Colorado, and
I always envisioned myself ending up there. My school was a fairly large, public school. I
learned a great deal from my cooperating teachers and the school counselors there.
I began my teaching career as a preschool teacher. I was the head teacher at a preschool in Fort
Collins, Colorado for a semester. I realized quickly that early childhood was not for me. So, I
accepted a job at a private school in Greeley, Colorado. I taught second grade for three years
there before moving back to Nebraska with my husband to raise our son and be closer to family.
I was a stay-at-home mom, but I decided to try my hand at preschool one more time! I took an
early childhood position at a private school in Alliance, Nebraska. I wrote my own curriculum
and managed my classroom like I was a completely separate entity from the school. It was a
great learning experience because I wore many hats. I taught there for two years. It was very
part-time, so it worked great when balancing work and two young boys. After that, I did some
substitute teaching to keep my foot-in-the-door.
Once my boys were both school age, I decided I was ready to have my own classroom again. I
applied for a public middle school position and a position at the same private school my boys
were attending at the time. It was the same school I taught preschool and substitute taught as
well. I was offered both positions, but I ended up choosing the private school, even though the
pay was significantly lower. I felt it was invaluable to be near my sons and to work in a school
system that already felt like family. I have been teaching fourth grade at St. Agnes for nine years
now. In that time, I have served as assistant principal, a teacher liaison for the PTA, and I am the
SAT leader for grades Kindergarten through fourth grades. Through these years, I have built
strong, positive relationships with my co-workers and students. We are a team who works for the
success of our school and students. It has been a blessing to work with teachers I had in grade
school. They are committed to the success of the school, and I have learned more from them than
I could have possibly imagined.
There is a strong possibility my family will be moving to an urban area next year. I look forward
to working in a large school system and gaining new experiences. Having worked in both a large
school, then two, small, private schools, I have found that no matter what school, the goals stay
the same. All children need support, instruction that fits their needs, and they need to feel like
they matter. Educators must work together to ensure every student is successful. This success
will look differently from student to student, but with curriculum aligned with the standards,
quality instruction, and genuine care for the well-being of our students, it is an attainable goal.
Teaching throughout grade levels, working as an assistant principal, participating and
supervising extracurricular activities, working with parents in various capacities, working as an
SAT leader, and leading school fundraising efforts within the community, I feel I have
experience that will prove invaluable to me in the future. Although I am not ready to give up my
classroom just yet, I know my education at Chadron State College, as well as my school and
classroom experiences, have prepared me well to enter the principalship with the knowledge,
compassion, and confidence to lead an elementary school in the future.

Professional Autobiography

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