Background Statement

When it came to entering Elementary school, I needed to learn, from day one, I wanted to be doing what the older kids were doing; I wanted to go to school every day, help my teachers, be called on in class, I wanted to be right, I wanted to be the first one done, and I always wanted more – those were my expectations of myself. The expectations of the elementary school were to learn respect, learn the basics in each subject, behave in class, complete the homework, and try your best. My parent’s expectations for me were similar; if I did my best then that was good enough.
In middle school, I experienced a large shift in all of these expectations, beginning with the educational system. The work got more difficult and I was expected to work harder in the subjects that I was less comfortable in. I was expected to work in groups, complete difficult projects, express my interests, join extracurricular activities, and get outstanding grades; all while making friends and going through awkward changes. My parents still expected my best grades and efforts, not only academically, but also in extracurricular activities. From myself, I began to expect a little less academically, and focus my efforts towards the social. I still expected good grades of myself, but my effort levels needed to be increased to receive those grades, which is something I needed to work with.
In entering high school, the expectations of the educational system were to push myself and to graduate with college acceptances. I was expected to be responsible for my own scheduling, for choosing worthy electives, grade levels, and teachers. I was expected to be the number one person in charge of my education. My parent’s expectations began to match the educational systems’ along with awesome grades, extra group involvement and other activities, as well as college acceptances. My own expectations began to take shifts between expecting too much and not enough. I could not seem to find a constant ground. All I expected was that I could get by however I needed, keeping my grades high enough for what everyone else expected.
Through all of these years, the many shifts in class setup and teaching strategies were always a factor. Through most of my elementary and middle school years the classrooms were always teacher in front, students lined up in desks facing forward. The special elective classes always challenged that setup (art, music, etc.). In middle school, it began to vary; science labs, home economics, and industrial arts gave a new perspective to classroom setup. Standard teaching in basic classes usually followed the standard setup. The teacher would use the board or projector, we would take notes or listen, and there would be quizzes and tests. A little extra always went a long way with me for this style of learning (a worksheet, graphic organizer, etc.). Group work became more popular when I was at the middle level; we could pick partners or groups and combine our thoughts and efforts. These are good ways for me to learn. As far as large group projects, I loved the sharing of work load and learning from other students’ ideas and efforts. The same rang true for high school in teaching strategies. The classroom setup proved much more variation. Where there was variation, I usually excelled. Though I can develop steady habits facing forward and directing my attention to the teacher, at that age the social interaction was a key for a release of energy and an excitement in class.
Throughout my schooling, I was a part of a rather small educational system. My graduating class of only 69 students was low on the scale of ethnic diversity and diversity in socioeconomic levels. This, being a part of a somewhat sheltered education, had major benefits when it came to programs and classes. The class sizes were always small and the teacher to student ratio was always fair. For extracurricular activities, though we had few choices, we were able to excel because of the smaller numbers. Success is a wonderful feeling, and these factors made it more likely that we could succeed. I enjoyed being a part of many teams and activities and getting the chance to shine and build self-confidence all the way through my education. Like the extracurricular activities, the elective classes were limited on choices, but they were always strong experiences that I am thankful were still provided at a smaller school.
Of all of my years in kindergarten through senior year, my fifth grade year was my greatest experience. Mr. Buckingham was the teacher that taught me how to balance different subjects, transition easily, work harder on the ones I struggled with, and truly excel in those subjects I loved. After I went into the middle school so terrified of the changes, I learned from him that school was still fun. I got to make new friends, play plenty of games, keep my good grades, and make a real friend in my teacher, all while I was learning – every day. My favorite project of all was an enriching ongoing writing assignment that could make my class laugh, my writing skills improve, and help us enjoy the task of writing for school. In his class there was immense variety in learning styles and activities and we learned and learned and learned. What an amazing experience.
In those twelve years I not only learned about a variety of subjects, I learned my strengths and weaknesses, my likes and dislikes, social interactions, personal responsibility, how to have fun while learning, the consequences of a poor effort or bad choice, all of the ways to learn and create experiences, and most of all, how to use prior knowledge and experiences to excel. My background will affect my professional teaching career every single day, by reminding me of my experiences and helping me relate to students and their experiences. Sometimes my background will remind me to teach in different ways, sometimes it will remind me when to discipline and not discipline, but it will always remind me of the importance of learning and the immense effect it will always have on students. Using my experiences and prior knowledge will improve my own teaching every day.
I selected the teaching profession so I could make positive changes in students’ lives through positive thinking and environment. I wanted to show students how to have fun with reading, or how to write to express feelings. I wanted to share my enjoyment for learning with others and stay connected to such a large group of citizens that hold so much hope for everyone. To be a superior teacher, I will have to care every single day. I will have to smile and encourage and frown and discipline and I will always have to do those things with the best interest of the students in mind. Superior teachers create a learning environment that is stable, understanding, caring, comfortable, positive, and encouraging. These tasks are something I will work my whole life towards achieving. I will let my students feel secure by building trusting relationships with them. I will show understanding when the torments of their age level are above their efforts to learn. I will be caring by staying involved and give them my full and honest attention. I will demonstrate a comfortable environment where they can learn, excel, and still feel able to share their concerns or happiness. I will stay positive for them, knowing that my energy will dissolve into their work and their efforts. Most of all, I will encourage them to do the best they can with the things they love, to try new things, to step outside of the box and the boundaries, and to test their own limits.
By becoming a teacher I get to gain a connection with such a hopeful and amazing part of the world: the youth. I get to stay challenged in my career while laughing and joking, making social connections, and encouraging others. I hope to contribute to others’ attitudes by being a positive and comforting educator. I hope to give as much to my colleagues, as I hope to gain from them and our experiences together with our students.
My fear is that I will not meet the needs of my students. That I will slip and forget to accommodate everyone the way I want to. I worry that my content knowledge may not be enough, or that my lesson planning will fall behind and I won’t meet the goals of the curriculum. I worry about the parts of teaching that I have yet to experience. The techniques, the specifics, the requirements, and the expectations are where my fears rest. I know that practice and experience will eventually eliminate these fears.