Learning Autobiography

What Have I Experienced in Education?

I did not realize that I wanted to be a teacher until the end of my freshman year of college. Until that point, my focus was on my English major; I was planning to pursue a career in journalism. I found myself growing dissatisfied with my work, however, and I knew that was not what I truly felt passionate for. I have always enjoyed English classes and the work related to them, but my attachment to journalism was fading. After pondering what it was that made me excited for English classes, I realized it was the classes themselves. I love learning, working with others to learn, and just being in school. Thus, my education preparation began.

Since then, I have had a wide variety of education classes that have introduced me to and immersed me in both the theory behind teaching and the act of teaching itself. My most valuable knowledge and preparation has come from the combination of learning from experienced educators at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges and putting that learning into action in classrooms during field work. I have become committed to implementing culturally relevant pedagogy and differentiation in my preparation for future work. Every student has the right and the ability to learn, participate, and feel comfortable in the classroom. My emerging philosophy of education values student growth above anything else. I feel it is my role as an educator to know each student as a person, make them vital parts of the learning experience, and offer them material and skills that are adapted to their personal/intellectual needs. If a student cannot see themselves reflected in my teaching or do not feel their needs are acknowledged, then I have not done everything in my power to make my classroom a successful space for learning. I am dedicated to making my future classroom a reflection of the students within it. Based on my personal learning experiences and my observations of students ranging from first grade to eleventh grade, I feel that the most effective way to learn is to feel invested and involved in your learning space.

In this section, I acknowledge my experiences within the education system, both as a student and future educator, and reflect on how they have influenced my emerging philosophy of education. I have come to find, through my variety of personal reflection assignments in my education classes, that experiential evidence is incredibly important in setting a foundation in educating. I will address themes of meaningful representation in the classroom, specifically tailored pedagogy, and differentiated planning. My ideas on these themes have been formed based on what I felt has lacked in my education and on the awareness that I hold privilege in my place in the education system. I acknowledge my position of privilege in my experiences and work and have dedicated my education preparation to listening to others’ stories and learning from those in different positions than myself.