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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay
Maricela Gonzalez
Professor LueLinda Egbert
EDUC 201 Foundations of Education
September 8, 2020
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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

In order for this country to have a brighter future, we need more teachers like myself,

who value education and see it as way to be successful. Students need to learn lifetime skills that

will help them be good citizens. I want to be the teacher that will always listen to their problems

and I will try to cheer them up with my smile as they walk into my classroom. I am different and

weird and I dare to be different; I want them to be feel like they can be themselves.

My education began in Mexico attending a Catholic School from kindergarten to second

grade and towards the end of second grade, my family and I immigrated to the United States. I

then attended Declo Elementary School and I continued on to Declo Jr. High School. I then

continued my freshmen year at Declo High School, and during my sophomore year I left to

Mexico and I stayed there for a year. By the time I came back to the United States I was one year

behind my class and if I went back to high school I would graduate a year later than my class. So

instead, I chose to finish my GED at The College of Southern Idaho. Years later, I decided I

wanted to go to college so I applied to The College of Southern Idaho. Three years later here I

am pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher. I am currently working on earning my Associates

of Education and I will be moving on to Idaho State University to pursue a Bachelor in

Education and get my teaching degree.

During my years at school I learned from great teachers how fun it was to learn. I also

discovered that I love to learn something new every day. I would go home excited and I would

tell my father what I had learned that day at school. Classes were never boring for me and I

liked going to school every day. Having a passion for learning has helped me decide on wanting

to become a teacher. I learned that each teacher has its own teaching style and a way to make

learning fun. These attributes will help me to be a fun teacher and make sure my students are

engaged.
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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Work History

My very first job was at a country store. I worked four days per week with a shift of three

hours while I was in high school. My responsibilities were to stock the drinks in the coolers, I

would sweep and mop the floors. Then after that I worked in the field hoeing beets that was

hard, I worked twelve hours walking and hoeing beets all day long in the hot sun during the

summer. Then I worked at a gas station as a cashier. I liked that job I liked working with the

customers on a daily basis. I worked there for eight months and then I left the job to work in the

potato harvest. Where I worked inside the cellar I was in charge of running the pillar with a

control. I needed to level the potato as they were coming from the conveyor. This job was not

hard but it was a lot of hours in the cold weather.

Four years ago, I started working at Minico High School as an IDLA computer

assistance. I am in charge of the students taking online dual credit classes for college. My

responsibilities are to monitor their progress and make sure they turn their assignments on time.

As the instructor, I have 117 students that I am in charge of. I also read announcements and share

other important information, as I am also in charge of taking attendance. I also work part-time

for our family business. We have houses for rent and I manage them, I do the bookkeeping and

accounting. When the tenants leave I clean the rentals. During the summer I mow and water the

lawn, charge rents, and call service men when something needs to be fixed.

From my job experiences I learned that I like to socialize. These attributes are important

as I will always be around students all day. And I will need to communicate with parents as well.

I also learned that I work good with others this will help me as, part of my work will be to

cooperate with my colleagues. I also learned that I am a dedicated, honest, responsible person. I

am a perseverance and patience person who will not give up on my students. I am a hard worker
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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

person who will do my best to teach my students in an engaging thoughtful way. I will be a

teacher who will show respect and care for my students.

Service and Extracurricular Activities

Since I am a non-traditional student and a mother of two children, I don’t have time to

participate in any extra curriculum activities. I do however volunteer at our church for the coffee

hour once a month. I help out the Knights of Columbus, they organize the coffee social hour and

the funds go to the church. I am in charge of preparing and serving coffee and offering cookies,

or bread for the community members that attend mass. I like greeting people, and I interact with

the people who gather around in the parish hall. By doing this I realize that I like volunteering.

As a teacher there will be a lot of opportunities for me to volunteer at. This may not be relevant

to teaching but in my opinion teachers are a great part of the community. Teachers spend extra

hours helping a struggling student although this goes unseen or unheard of. Teachers teach

because they have a passion for teaching and like being part of the student’s life. And many still

volunteer at after school activities, or show up to support their students during a game.

Reasons for Choosing Education as Career

I chose to become a teacher because I love to be around young kids, because they’re full

of energy and hope. I love to learn and I believe everyone should learn as much as possible. I

want to be that teacher with a spark to teach and help them graduate and encourage them to

follow their dreams. Being a teacher is having the feeling of being young at heart, and I look

forward to working with generation after generation of kids. My heart is full knowing students

come in looking for me and asking me for an opinion on a decision in their life. I feel like a

mother hen with a classroom full of kids.

My short term goal is to finish getting my Associates in Education and to be teaching in a

classroom in less than two years. I plan on being a Speech Teacher, I like would teach eleven

graders only. For my long term goals, I want to pursue another bachelor’s degree to become a

Speech Pathologist and have my own clinic or office. I want to help children speak with

confidence and learn to communicate.

Professional Goals

I am trying to obtain my teaching degree and be a secondary Speech Teacher at the high

school that I currently work at. I decided to become a teacher after working with the teenagers,

through my job. I love working with the teenagers and influence their lives in a positive way. I

hope to demonstrate an ethic of hard work, honesty, and perseverance. Also to encourage them to

obtain a higher education and to follow through with their goals. I anticipate the rewards of

going home every night with a heart full and happy knowing I made a difference in a student’s

life, and that I am a positive role model for them.

I want to make a difference for my students so that they can do anything they set their

mind to and help guide them through life. I plan on becoming a communication teacher and I

will help students overcome their shyness to speak in public and hopefully help them with their

future. I hope to finally fulfill my career goal of becoming a professional, and being an example

for my siblings and my children, as I am a first generation college student. I am persistent and I

love education, and I want to be part of the family of Educators.