The little reminders in life

I've been on "holidays" (us moms know to use that term loosely) for the past few weeks. I really enjoyed the sleeping in, stuffing my face and the hockey (and there was A LOT of hockey -- heck who am I kidding, there was also A LOT of stuffing my face as well). But sadly, I returned (with my pants feeling a little too snug) to my crazy student life this past Monday.

Actually I was thrown back into the hectic schedule, spending the whole week at my new placement school. And this time round, I'm in a grade 6 class. Which can only mean one thing......grade 6 MATH!!!! YIKES! And I thought grade 3 math was a challenge! At least "we" can use calculators (and I mean "WE" cause I'm learning too). The kids were learning about scatter plots and data management. Which works out well because I taught the grade 3's all about graphs in December --- oh wait, that doesn't work out well cause I SUCK at data management. Oh well, a wise person once said "a teacher is only 24 hours smarter than their class" So when I assign homework to the grade 6's, you know for sure that I'll also be doing the same homework.

Anyways, I was tidying up my computer tonight (yet another way to avoid actually getting stuff done) and I came across the personal statement I wrote to get into teacher's college. And as I read it, it reminded me that 1) I am smart, 2) I have the right experience to become a teacher and 3) with enough time and SWV, I can write some really good stuff! I've included my letter so you guys can see the power of liquid inspiration! If you ever think "Why on God's green earth is Jenn becoming a teacher?" Please refer back to this post, I know I will (many, many times throughout my career!)

The point of the personal statement is to explain (in a one page letter) how your experiences in life have guided you into education. The catch is, that you can't beg or plead for acceptance into the program. Nor can you say that you want to teach because you get the summers off and a really strong pension plan (which of course is the real reason most of us choose teaching)

So without any further ado --- my personal statement......

Deeply influenced by my own teachers, I knew at a young age that I was destined to teach. However, life sometimes takes you on an unexpected path and for many years I believed that it would impossible to follow my dream. Busy raising my own children, I satisfied my desire to teach by volunteering in their classrooms. Even though I truly enjoyed my time with the students, as a volunteer I felt that I was witnessing the learning process from the sidelines.

Then several years ago I was given the chance to return to school. While I knew it would not be easy balancing the demands of family, work as well as full time school, I also knew that it was an opportunity I could not pass up. Today, despite the setbacks I have faced, I am overjoyed to be so close to reaching my childhood dream of teaching.

An essential aspect of being a teacher is having the ability to interact with a diversity of students, parents and members of the community, and my background and volunteer experiences have instilled this important quality in me.

For many years I have been a school bus driver, as such I am responsible for safely transporting up to 72 children to and from school. Interacting with a large group of students has taught me many invaluable skills, such as conflict resolution and student management, which can easily be applied to a classroom setting.

As a reading buddy volunteer, I have learned as much from the students as they have from me. I have learned to develop interpersonal skills such as being able to adapt to the needs of an individual student. After accessing the child’s reading ability, I utilize the available materials and resources to engage and encourage the learning process. When the resources do not meet the specific needs of the student, I have sought out, as well as, created literacy games which reinforce the concepts we are working on. This creativity and innovation will allow me, as a teacher, to recombine school board curriculum into exciting activities for both the individual student and the whole class.

As a classroom volunteer I have been assigned a variety of tasks with the majority of that time being spent working with small groups of students. Whether it’s the joy a student feels when they master a concept they had previously struggled with or feeling a child’s frustration when they don’t quite get it, it is in these small group settings that I have gained the greatest appreciation for the emotions involved in teaching. In fact, it is the feelings of frustration which have fueled my desire to teach. For without frustration, the ability to challenge and push myself would be lost.

I understand now that a teacher does more than teach the basics, they engage their students and foster a lifelong love of learning. As a teacher, I would not only witness the beginnings of something great, teaching would allow me to be a vital part of that process.


Hope everyone had a wonderful break (in whatever capacity that break came!)