Autobiographical Paper: My Path to Education
I was born in Calgary, Alberta and lived there up until I left for University in my first year. I lived with my parents and my younger brother. Since kindergarten I have attended French Immersion schools. I really enjoyed being able to learn a second language and I have come across many different opportunities in my life because of it. For example, I was able to be a part of the Team Alberta Francophone Games for volleyball because I was fluent in French. I have chosen to minor in French in University because I would really like to teach in a French immersion school in the future. I grew up playing sports and athletics were very important in my family. My dad played and coached multiple sports and my younger brother continues to play hockey. Throughout my childhood I played volleyball very competitively. This contributed to my strong work ethic and ability to compete. Eventually I was recruited to play volleyball in University for the Regina Cougars women’s team and I moved there to pursue volleyball as well as a degree in Education.
From a very young age I wanted to become an educator. In grade three I had an amazing teacher that brought us along on many different field trips and showed me the extent of how teachers can provide hands-on learning opportunities. She was able to relate the curriculum to the activities and field trips that we were a part of. This made these experiences more purposeful and students were able to have more of a hands-on learning experience. For example, one of our field trips entailed visiting the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller while we were studying Geology. We were able to stay overnight in the museum and explore with guides without the general public in attendance. This allowed students to grasp the material and we had access to many resources if we had questions or didn’t understand the content. Another trip my class took was when we went to the Rouge Restaurant in Calgary. We had to order and speak in French for the whole duration of the trip. One of the “I believe” statements that I have formed so far in my teaching philosophy is that I believe curriculum has to be relevant and identifiable in order for students to get the most out of the lessons. I believe that students remember the experiences but also remember the curriculum that they are encouraged to learn throughout these hands-on experiences. Another field trip that shaped an “I believe” statement was when my grade 3 class visited the Mustard Seed in Downtown Calgary. The Mustard Seed is a centre for people experiencing issues associated with poverty and homelessness. This trip allowed kids at a young age to see the importance of giving back to the community and being accepting of others. I believe that teachers, like all youth mentors, have a responsibility to foster inclusiveness, compassion and respect for all and that it is important to create and reinforce an empathetic environment in the classroom.
Going forward I believe it is important for teachers to implement more online resources and learning experiences for their students. From having experienced the shift to online school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have seen how online learning can positively enhance a student’s understanding of course material. By adding videos and online resources into lessons, students are able to understand the course content more clearly. In addition to this, adding extra online resources can help make it easier for students to enhance their learning when they are confused and have questions that may arise outside of the classroom or can help parents have access when they want to assist. I think it also important as a teacher to be able to assess how each student learns. When I was in grade 6, we were all given a learning style test to see which ways we learned best. The different styles include Visual, Musical/Auditory, Kinesthetic, Verbal, Logical/Mathematical, Social, Solitary and Combination. Knowing a student’s learning style is essential to how you present the course material and engage with students.
As I enter my second year in the Education program it is important to consider the question of how do you know this is the right career path? I was able to answer this question this past summer. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my younger brother was amongst the many kids in Canada that moved to online school. I was able to return home to Calgary and could help him with his studies while I simultaneously finished my first year of university online. As many teachers were new to teaching online, he had many questions about the content he was learning and it was difficult to receive the help he needed from his teachers. I was able to assist him with various subjects such as Science, English and my two specialties French and Social Studies. In a regular classroom setting my brother tends to struggle as he has ADHD and has difficulties focusing. When I worked with him one-on-one I was able to see him succeed and reach his potential in school as his grades dramatically increased and he began to feel more confident. I enjoyed being able to help him and see him flourish throughout his online school. This experience allowed me to connect with a student and realize the impact that I can make as a teacher.
My past experiences make me want to pursue teaching so I can give young students strong learning experiences and opportunities as well as possibly inspire other students to pursue this career as well. Throughout my education experience I have had many teachers that made an effort to know their students and how they learn. This has influenced me very positively as I believe I know what it takes to be successful in the field of Education.