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 with 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 strictly with children, but decided I needed to have more experience in both fields to make up my mind so I know I have made the right decision. Luckily, 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 give me the field experience I desired. Both semesters of 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 work environment and day to day duties. After my first semester of helping out, I was able to make my final choice.
Working with children is something I have always had an affinity for. I find myself able to easily create connections. This has led to one of my core beliefs as an educator. I believe that it is important to create a balanced relationship between and with all students in your place of learning. This helps the student feel more comfortable and safe in the environment they are in and allows for a more collaborative learning experience. It also builds a level of trust and mutual respect between the educator and the student and motivates students to show more engagement within their learning. Through this engaging experience, students are more easily able to create and meet goals for themself, making school a fulfilling experience for them. I have seen the results of this belief first hand as the educators I best got along with were the educators who had shown me they care about my learning and made the effort to create a relationship with me. One of these educators was my badminton coach, whom I spent a huge amount of time with between class, practice and game days. I feel like she is the one educator that knows me the most and that is because of the environment and relationship she created with me. She allowed me to open up to her when I needed it, making it clear that she valued me as a person, not just as a mind to fill with information.
I also believe that it is important to utilize students’ interests as much as possible when planning learning experiences. Traditionally outside-of-school knowledge and traditionally school-based knowledge do not have to be entirely separate from each other. It is the connections between their own lives and the content we teach that creates long-lasting lessons for the students. The educators I best get along with were the educators who had shown me they care about my learning and made the effort to create a relationship with me. The influences I looked up to when choosing the right career path were my educators and educators I worked with.
I want to be a teacher to help mend the lives of many students, assisting them with personal and academic goals they want to reach. Being a teacher will allow me to assist with shaping young ones’ minds. For so many students school is the one constant in their lives. I want to be able to provide that stability and shape and support their decisions, behaviours and imaginations. As I have heard said many times, we are the creators of the future. I also want to be an educator because of the differences I believe I can make. I want to break from the same structured days every day. Teaching should be fun and exciting. I will get to use my imagination and be creative while I work. Being an educator is more than just a job. Educators have many roles and responsibilities throughout their careers, and I look forward to experiencing them all.
