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This is My Life
This is my life. It is my story. My timeline and my desire to be an educator are closely linked, because I believe in a personal commitment to education that reflects my individual philosophy. -
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An insatiable passion for literature and learning
I read and write because it allows me to interact with the world. There has never been a time that I questioned the importance of these acts. My desire to engage in texts has been insatiable throughout my life, and I am incredibly blessed to make it my profession. -
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The Influence of Educators on My Life
Throughout my life, I have had teachers, coaches, friends and family that I have learned from. Learning isn't something that comes from textbooks, but it is a willing engagement with life. As we become consciously aware of this, we realize that a true student never stops learning and recognizes the value of every moment. Each day is a teaching opportunity and a learning possibility. -
My First Standardized Test
I was relegated to a class for slower learners because of my economic status and quiet demeanor--until my first standardized test. I scored in the top 5 in the state of Texas and was swept up in a whirlwind of changing classes, gifted and talented tests, and strange looks from teachers who once ignored me. -
Reading Beyond my Years
I read everything that I could get my hands on. Eventually, my teachers began sending me to other libraries, because they couldn't satisfy my insatiable appetite for literature with the offerings of the elementary school library. In middle school, they sent me to the High School library. I wanted to read everything. I wanted to know everything. -
My Brother
My brother was my best friend. However, we are complete opposites, particularly in our studies. He did my math assignments, and I wrote his papers. But I wanted him to read more; I was determined to find a way to make him understand the importance of reading. I began collecting books. I was convinced that it wasn't reading that he disliked, but the books that he was being forced to read. I formulated a philosophy: Anyone will read if you give them something that they can connect with. -
The Second Standardized Test
In order to graduate from high school, I needed to pass the required standardized test. We spent months preparing for it, but my English teacher was terrified that I would fail. She said that I wrote at too high of a level. Her advice to me was to "dumb down" my writing for the test. I knew that something was wrong. This was not how education was supposed to work. -
Graduation and Realization
I passed the test in the 97% percentile, but I was never proud of what I wrote. However, as I walked away from my small town, I was greatly impacted by the educators that had supported me. Their influence was greater than any test. They were my heros. In my darkest hours and brightest moments, they supported me, challenged me, and gave me freedom to be and become. Like them, if I could make one difference in one person's life (as they had in mine), then I wanted to make that difference. -
The First College Attempt
I spent the next three years playing basketball and going to college, but although I knew my ultimate goal, I wasn't able to grasp the reality of it. As I completed a required practicum for my degree, I was happiest in a classroom, but I was not giving my all. My advisor said that she didn't like me. She said that other people struggled to do what came naturally to me and that I was wasting it. She was right. But I wasn't ready to hear it yet. I dropped out. -
Substitute Teaching
I moved all over the country; I tried every aspect of life--the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. After 12 years of working nights, I realized that something was missing. I decided to start substitute teaching. I loved it. I enjoyed the kids, the school, the people. The nagging suspicion in the back of my mind became more prominent. I knew that if I wanted to be happy, I needed to be teaching. -
The Fear of Success
I began to realize that what had held me back from pursuing my dream of becoming an educator wasn't the fear of failure, but the terrifying idea of success. I could do this. I was capable. And it would change my life. Deep breathe. Ok. I want to change the world--one ideal, one comma, one book, one child, one life at a time. I decided to finish my degree. -
Plymouth State University
I began attending Plymouth State University. Unlike my previous University experience, I was receptive--I didn't believe that I already knew everything. I was very aware of how little I knew. My instructors challenged me, and I responded. My passion had not subsided in my hiatus. I wanted to learn and the people teaching me pushed me. They dared me to question myself and the world. They embodied the support and oppsition that is education. -
Composition and Communication
Writing is our ability to communicate in another medium. Reading is recognizing the mode of communication and understanding the intent. I taught composition at PSU in the Fall of 2011, and it was a life-altering experience. I was instructing students in more than just their ability to write symbols, but in their active engagement with the world. I was teaching, and it was incredible. -
The Journey Ahead
My intent is to continue teaching. I would like to do so at the collegiate level. My hope is to pursue a PhD in Literature and continue working with the young minds that are creating our reality. This world is a beautiful place, and my journey through it has taught me of the value of every minute. The effect that educators have on our world is profound. I will strive to make a difference.
