NJFEA Personal Statement

I believe that education is the key in developing today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. Education is the basis on which individuals develop their self-concept and the desire to become more knowledgeable. I want to become an educator because I am interested in helping elementary students become active learners and also to assist with their social skills. I believe I can make a difference to many students as they start their educational foundation. I feel that all teachers should possess the desire to devote their hard work and efforts to their students’ educational success. I view teaching as not only one of the most respected careers, but also as one in which the rewards are great and many

I have had a lifetime goal to attend college, it just didn’t happen early in life. When I first came to CCU, there was no doubt that getting my bachelors in early childhood would be my major. My passion has always been young children. It started when I babysat as a young teenager and has continued in my life as a preschool teacher. Education is constantly changing: therefore, I feel I need to have more knowledge and wisdom to be the best teacher possible. Education is by far one of the most important tools to have a successful life. With diligence, I want to be a leading educator and to be a gateway for my students to learn. It’s exhilarating how many lives a teacher will touch each day. A teacher has the power to reach out and make learning a positive and memorable experience for every child. Furthermore, teachers are one of the first caregivers for young children. Although I am not at the beginning of my career, while at CCU, I will grow in faith, help and learn from others, and strive to graduate with honors.

To help further myself I made the decision to attend the Animal and Botanical Sciences Academy at Freehold Township High School. This required me to leave the friends that I had made in my hometown in order to take specialty classes that I was interested in. When I entered Freehold Township High School I only knew one other student and was very intimidated in the new environment. It was in the agriculture class that I was able to find my place and make friends because of my agriculture teachers and FFA advisors. By entering the academy I joined the National FFA Organization, a youth run organization that promotes premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization has provided me with a multitude of opportunities. I have had the chance to compete on the state and national level in various areas of agriculture, participated in an array of leadership conferences, and served as a state officer for the New Jersey FFA

For me, the decision to become a teacher is more of a way of life than a career. I have always loved school, practicing at being school marm from a young age, and voraciously devouring every shred of education offered me in my career as a student. If it were possible, I would be a student for the rest of my life. And then I still would not have learned enough. As a teacher, I hope to instill this appetite for knowledge in secondary students. They are, after all, the future leaders of the world, and what better place to expand the minds of the generations to come than here in Appalachia where education programs, especially the sciences, which I plan to teach, are poorly funded and children’s dreams

I always thought I would be a teacher and I would make differences in lives and it would be the greatest experience in the world for me, yet being a teacher wasn’t enough, I had a need to expand my education. I decided that perhaps I needed a new career, however, I felt certain education remained my passion. I began to explore new areas of education and I realized I still want to be a member of a classroom, a school and curriculum. I aspire to guide those leading our classrooms.

The Junior State of America (JSA) is the largest student-run organization in the country dedicated to youth civic engagement and political involvement. Founded in 1934, the nonprofit JSA has fostered over 500,000 student leaders through its school year academic program and its summer programs. During the school year, JSA functions as an extracurricular activity at high schools. JSA hosts overnight conventions during the school year to provide a platform for high school students to come together and contemplate the issues facing our society. In the summertime, JSA hosts summer programs at colleges so students can study advanced courses in government, politics, media, and international relations.

With all that being said what intrigues me most about this career is the fact that I will be getting a chance to teach children new things and see their faces light up when they understand the curriculum and see those light bulbs go off that they can do anything they put their mind to.

My decision to be a teacher did not come easily to me. This choice was dependent on a reflection about what I was passionate about and how I could make a difference. I have chosen to become a teacher, as I believe teachers have the ability to provide future generations the stimulation for one of the most significant roles in life; to become a lifelong learner. Many teachers that I have had during my education have had a positive impact on my decision to grow and develop the skills that are fundamental to pursue a successful teaching career. My aim is to be a part of an honorable profession with the optimism that one day I will become an efficacious teacher who can provide future teachers with inspiration, as my teachers have provided for me. Through personal educational experiences and peer-reviewed academic literature, I am able to shape my approach to my pre-service teaching, as it will influence my future practice. As a teacher, there is not just one singular approach to educating students; there is a need for flexibility, diversity, adaptation and reflection.

To say that "I am extremely passionate about working with children" would be an enormous understatement in regards to my personal experiences, ideologies and self-proclaimed purposes in respects to working in public schools. Being passionate about ones every day line of work is a huge deciding factor for most of us when it comes to “what we want to be when we grow up.” Conversely, it was quite simple for me, you see the rewards of teaching truly lie in the outcomes of one’s teaching. Knowing that from the first day of school, what I do and how I do it will have a domino effect on hundreds of lives throughout my career as an educator. In hopes to not only work in a field that I both admire and aspire to be a part of, I am also driven to one day be that teacher in which my students can look back and say “Miss. Chadwick really motivated me to be a better learner, artist, writer” and hopefully “a better person.”

I have an education class this year and I find it really interesting. I’ve had a few and being able to work with kids is really rewarding. I have the patience to be around children and make sure they are learning. I have a huge passion to learn about how to become a good teacher. I think that the first step to being a teacher is having passion.

In my 24 years of experience employed with the Department of Education I have found that working with children watching as they grow is inspiring as much as it is rewarding. Teaching helps one to sharpen their skills on all levels for the curriculum is forever changing. Being an educator has its challenging moments but its something I want to accomplish. To be successful at educating others I must continue to grow, increase and improve within.

I am currently a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society, an international psychology honor society, and recently joined FIU’s chapter of the co-ed premedical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon. These organizations allow me to participate in events and activities geared towards academic excellence and community service in science, values that I believe are fundamental not only to a career in medicine but to being a great student here at FIU. I was also given the opportunity to become involved with Peer-Led Team Learning, a program that works closely with the Biology department, where I served as a leader for several semesters and intend to continue to do so when my course load allows for it once again. In addition, I volunteer as a research assistant for the Child Narratives Lab in FIU’s Psychology department gaining hands-on experience with conducting studies and interacting with children in a research setting. Finally, I am a work-study in the Financial Aid department. As it stands, I am deeply involved with many different aspects of FIU and I only hope to do more in the future. My fraternity has offered opportunities for leadership that I hope to take advantage of such as positions in Student Government. I also have plans to apply for a role on the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution’s Student Conduct Committee to be more active in the campus

I believe that a career that involves teaching the next generation will be not only hugely rewarding, but also is one of the most important roles that can benefit society. I am passionate for children to enjoy their education, in much the same way that my teachers did for me. I also enjoy life's challenges and opportunities, and would like to enable others to develop skills that will help them to overcome their own. I have enjoyed working with and supporting children in the past.

The big question teachers ask me throughout my life is “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I never had an answer to that. Going into college I didn’t have a set plan as to what career I would like to pursue. However, I knew that I wanted to work with kids; I originally wanted to be a pediatrician. That career choice was based on my family wanting me to be successful, so I put my passion for working with kids and their passion together. As I began to focus on what I want instead of what others want, I changed my major to Early Childhood Education and chose the path of teaching as my career choice. I have high hopes for this career because teachers are always needed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS), the employment rate for my career choice will increase by six percent from 2014 to 2024. In this world, education is valued and will help put people many steps ahead. The reason why I chose to be an elementary teacher is because I want to be able to motivate and inspire my younger generations.

There are people who love to spend time with children, and some who loves to share their learning to others. But what if you love both children and teaching? Well, I must say that you are fit to become one of the teachers who will help these little children to explore the world and provide them with early education to help them acquire the foundation of knowledge and skills to become great individuals someday.