Autobiographical Reflective Paper

Attached below is my autobiographical reflective paper based on myself, impacts my past schools had on me, my family and more! 

Starting at the age of four years old, you are around multiple educators a day. These educators have a dramatic influence on each students’ life, whether they realize their impact or not. From a very young age, I have always looked up to educators, especially those that sought to create a strong relationship between us. I also loved school growing up. It was something I looked forward to every day. This outlook came more from the positive environment my teachers created rather than an affinity for school work.

When entering high school, I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I was unsure of how to get there. I felt added pressure from educators pushing me to figure out my exact career path. I was torn between the decision of becoming an elementary educator or going into the dental industry. I knew I loved working with kids already because I worked at an early learning center as the main school-age teacher and as a one-on-one with children experiencing disabilities for three years. Working at an early learning center for three years really helped influence my passion for children. I learned many things, such as how to create programs for students of all ages and abilities without letting anyone feel excluded, how to have a sense of authority for the children and how to successfully educate them without them becoming uninterested. I also had thoughts about being a dentist that worked with children, but decided I needed to have more experience in both fields before coming to a decision. With the help of career fairs and my career counsellor and researcher, I was able to find my path and branch off from there. I took a level 20 and 30 Workplace and Apprenticeship class to gain experience in the field. In grade 11 and 12, I worked in a K to 8 school assisting multiple educators with grading assignments, teaching lessons and getting the feel of an educator’s daily work enviroment and duties. After my first semester of working in a school, I knew that I had my heart set on education.

Working with children is something I have always had an appriciation for. I find myself able to easily create connections with my students, families and colleagues. I believe that it is important to create a balanced relationship with all students in your classroom. This will ensure students feel valued, involved and safe in the classroom. The educators I best got along with growing up were the ones who had shown me that they care about my learning and made the effort to create a relationship with me. 

I want to be a teacher that positively impacts my students and their lifelong learning journey. For so many students school is the one constant and safe space in their lives. I want to be able to provide that stability and space for all of my students. Teaching allows me to use my imagination, be creative and learn alongside my students, which is something valuable to me.