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BORN
I was born into a family of athleticism... my parents focused on play-based learning. They were very involved in my education right from the beginning; taking me outside or on trips, being apart of library groups, and trying to develop my learning skills. -
GROWING UP
I grew up in the outdoors. I recall climbing trees, hiking, swimming, and being very active. I always had my crayons in hand as I attended all of my brothers' sports games. You could find me in the stands colouring a picture. I was extremely expressive at this age, but not through language. I filled up sketchbook after sketchbook, taking after my father who is an artist. -
LABELLED
I remember being told quite often that I was creative. My creative writing stories were often kept by my teachers. I enjoyed writing descriptive fantasies that could involve the readers; creating vivid imagery and related characters. -
PRIMARY YEARS
My best friend and I loved to compare stories and build upon eachothers imaginations. I think this relationship benefited me in terms of my growth in literacy. I am uncertain as to whether or not I would have continued writing or even developed as much as I did, if it werent for her. She was extremely creative, her stories were definitely better than mine. But I think this early relationship motivated me to be a better writer and to start to think outside of the box (which was hard for me). -
JUNIOR YEARS
I loved focusing on structure in language. For example: story writing- I devoted a great deal of effort on producing interesting beginnings and ends.
I excelled academically and even recieved the language award at grade 8 graduation. Although I feel that this was due to high academic expectations from my family rather than a true interest in literacy.
This is the time when I began to write in journals or diarys- it was where I reflected on my day, problems with friends, or personal goals. -
Period: to
High School
I think high school was the point in my learning where I really started to figure myself out- what I felt passionate about, what I was confident in and what I wasn't interested in. I loved Art class, gym, geography and a couple English classes. I specifically became quite involved in Writer's Craft, where I was given the freedom to write my own stories with very little guidelines. It was a chance for me to explore literacy in a new way and figure out what I liked in terms of reading and writing. -
SENIOR YEARS
This is when I began to dislike education within a school setting.
I did not enjoy English classes, and I particularly did not fancy Skakespeare.
Although I did adore Writer's Craft, where I regained my creative freedom.
I was always drawing or painting- never reading other than magazines.
I was never a confident "serious" presenter- rather a performer. I remember doing well when it came to monologues or drama skits.
I was quiet in class, but loved to articulate my thoughts on paper. -
UNIVERSITY YEARS
My interest in language plumeted due to the textbook readings- I dreaded it! My professor's lack of creativity when it came to bringing the courses alive, really took a toll on my learning.
I found researching independently was more interesting and valuable. -
UNIVERSITY YEARS
This is the time when I looked to my father even more for inspiration. His power and use of language was and is so captivating. I always struggled with verbal communication- but with his guidance I learnt to express myself verbally just as well as on paper- or at least develop the tools to practice! So it seems that throughout my years of education I have slowly developed my literacy through my experiences with others. -
GO UP FROM HERE...
I have now developed an interest in reading for pleasure.
I have a quote log that I have been filling up, writing down my favourite quotes from books I have read and recording the meaning that I think are behind them.
I find that I reflect a lot- mentally but also on paper.
Developed an appreciation for literacy and all that comes with it- mostly due to my placement blocks over the years and it "clicking" with me this year. -
GO UP FROM HERE...
This realization makes me find and seek more value in the topics discussed in this course and how I can later apply it in a classroom of my own one day.
I think my literacy history has travelled up and down, having its peaks and dips into valleys. But all in all my experiences have led me to keep climbing the mountain, keep learning, and has helped me develop into the critical thinker I am today. -
GO UP FROM HERE...
I have an appreciation for the process of my lieracy journey and I understand that not all learners will take the same path to reach their own mountain top. I started with art, moved to creative writing, started to pay attention to the foundations of writing, began reading for pleasure, and eventually focused on verbal communication and presentation skills. I had never paid attention to my personal literacy history until this class, which is suprising considering I am quite the reflector. -
MAKING CONNECTIONS
In terms of my future teaching practice, I think learning about my personal literacy history has opened my eyes to how much our experiences affect our learning. It enabled me to pay attention to the seemingly insignificant events in my life that actually make up the type of learner I am now. This has made me realize how important it is to enrich every experience for my students because you never know how much it can and will impact their future.
