Personal Statement For Becoming A Certified Elementary School Teacher

Pursuing the life to empower and educate our youth is the lifelong mission behind most teacher’s motivations to pursue the educational route in their higher education. My practicum placement I gained the opportunity to work alongside Ms. Jennifer Harvey in her endeavor to educate and inspire her first-grade students. In her class, I began to realize the workload and dedication that teachers set forth to help their students succeed. It may seem bizarre to believe how teachers calculate and manipulate their activities and lessons to meet their students' needs best. Consequently, my experience with her and her students, I saw how a connection formulated behind the teacher’s efforts and the performance of his or her students; it was beautiful. Over the course of my ninety-plus hours, I’ve gained more knowledge about how it means to be a teacher and how influential they are to the students than I ever imagined. Upon reflecting, I realized how this course strengthens my resolve, surprised me, helped me learn

I would like to be a teacher because I have always been the one that’s eager to make a difference, I want to be the teacher that children remember for the rest of their life even after school. The love that I have always had for children is what drew me to teaching and the love that I have for learning is where I got my passion to teach. I have been inspired by many teachers in the past who has had a positive impact on my life and these are the ones that I have viewed as a mentor, leader and even as a parent. One particular reason that I chose to pursue a career in the education field is because I believe that when teachers work individually and collectively they have the ability to improve and change the world.

I would like to pursue a career in Elementary Education focusing on Kindergarten through second grade. I am going to be the first of my family to achieve a higher level of education after high school. I feel that being born and raised in Mountain Grove has given me values that I want to hold on to for the rest of my life. I have been a nurturing person for as long as I can remember and have strived to be a person that my younger sibling and cousins can look up to in life. I want to be an elementary teacher for many of the following reasons.

Choosing my career, that was not entirely easy. Back in Elementary School, I had a couple of teachers that were very good to me. They are who began to make my mind think and wonder about if this job would make a good career for me. It was not only my Elementary School teachers who helped convince me. There were some middle school teachers and a couple high school teachers who persuaded me. These teachers taught me with passion in their hearts. There was nothing but patience and love in their teaching. They taught me the different ways you can teach and get the lesson across to your students. I have kept their ways of teaching in mind for the days when it is time to work towards my degree. Watching my different teachers over the years have given me different reasons to want this career.

Throughout this last semester, I have been student teaching at Shawswick Middle School where I was able to take a critical look at myself as an educator. Though the teacher and I did not see eye to eye, this disagreement helped me to better form my own pedagogical beliefs and establish confidence in myself as an educator.

Each and every student plays a vital part of the classroom as a whole. The classroom acts as a community of learners who respect and care for one another. We are all different, but yet all alike, and that is what makes us very special. As a future teacher I strive to foster a class that will become a family whom trusts and maintains relationships with each and every other person. All will feel acknowledged and heard. This leads to a safe and warm environment that will develop into a fun learning experience. When I think about teaching in grades preschool to third, I greatly look forward to making a significant impact early on in every student’s lives. I hope to instill interest and motivation in the students and have them appreciate the joy of learning. I believe Montclair University’s P-3 MAR program will further enlighten and assist me to better understand all the standards within the portrait of a teacher.

As a student in the Education Department at Saint Mary’s College, I have been assigned a set of eight standards to fulfill before graduation. Having these standards guides all students in becoming the necessary well-rounded teacher candidates needed to go into the field of education and ultimately becoming a successful teacher in the future. Each standard relates to a different area, including having a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning processes, the professional environment, and content. Throughout the last two years, I have had a number of opportunities, both in the field and in my classes at Saint Mary’s, to meet these eight standards.

Elementary school teachers are constantly looking for a way to do things better. How can I engage my students in my instruction? How can I make their learning purposeful to their lives? How can I be more efficient in my planning and effective in my teaching? The Daily 5, a reading instruction program created by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, claims to be the answers to these questions. Boushey and Moser (2012) created the program after teaching and observing others’ literacy blocks. The program is said to “engage students, [and] also teach and promote self-independence on tasks” so that the classroom teacher can attend to individual students’ needs (LaShomb, 2011, p. 1). Boushey and Moser (2006) claim that not only does the program allow students to become self-sufficient learners, but it also engages them in meaningful literature daily.

Through out this course we have discussed a variety of topics ranging from child development to creating an effective lesson plan for students. But what does this mean for us as educators? In my field experience I had the pleasure of working with numerous effective educators. As I contemplated what I was observing, one question kept coming to mind. What makes a good teacher? After a lot of thought I have compiled a list of things I saw implemented, that I believe help make an effective educator. Though this list is by no means all encompassing, I believe they are the beginnings of an arsenal of tools and techniques needed to become a truly effective educator.

“Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing,” said Hunter S. Thompson. A passion is something that motivates you. Something that pushes you in life. Ever since I was little I loved playing softball. Now as a Senior I am still continuing my love for softball by playing on varsity. Another thing I love is being able to impact a person's life. I plan on doing this by becoming an elementary school teacher and continuing to be a volunteer firefighter. I'm passionate and motivated by softball, continuing to be a firefighter, and becoming a teacher.

In today’s educational field I plan to apply my knowledge of everything that I have learned at Georgia State University. In my time at Georgia State, I have developed a way of teaching that is equally focused—as much as possible—on children, faculty and staff, up and coming curriculum, classroom management skills, and continued learning and educational growth. I will expand upon each of these focuses throughout this paper.

I graduated from George County High School in May of 2013. My freshman year of college I attended South Alabama and struggled terribly. Due to personal issues I transferred to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and am now back at South for my junior year. I plan to begin candidacy in the fall of next year and receive my bachelors in Elementary Education. I hope to one day receive my masters and my bachelors in child psychology.

Duncan, Arne. “A Call to Teaching.” U.S. Department of Education, 9 Oct. 2009. Web. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017. Print.

I was inspired to follow a career in teaching through my own experience of working in various teaching environments. Having been able to experience first-hand how great of an impact a teacher can have on the minds of young people, made me realise this is a career I wanted to pursue.

Upon recognizing that a primary course requirement of Orientation to Education 206 would ensue an opportunity to conduct field experience — my heart swelled with delight. I am genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to have gained veritable experience of teacher-student interaction and teaching in an actual classroom. Expressly, I primarily conducted my research and experience at the newly opened Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy in Ms. Brewer and paraprofessional, Ms. Byrd’s pre-kindergarten class. I attended the school with an open, yet full heart willing and ready to take on the issues of the world. With this in mind, my initial impression of the school was comprised of a layered but greatly optimistic analysis. To illustrate, the environmental climate of the school appeared to be refined, clean, spacious, caring and warm. Due to the fact that the mission and visions for the school were visibly shown with great emphasis — them being: “Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Empathy, Self-discipline, & Perseverance” — indeed, I felt that I was in the right place. Furthermore, the overall culture of the educators can be characterized as inviting and friendly. Likewise, the students were open to communication, well behaved, and operated as if they had frequent visitors.