Running head: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay (ABE)

Lindsey K Young
Carol Billing
Education 201: Foundations of Education
Fall Semester 2013

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay
Education is the foundation of the future in need of teachers who will fully support learning
and opportunities for growth inside and outside the classroom. From the time I was a child,
teaching has always been my dream. Teachers can provide so much value and light to a child. I
can only hope and aspire to be a teacher who will make a difference in the lives of my students.
Educational Background
Throughout elementary school, my family moved many times causing me to bounce around
between schools. I began kindergarten in Boise, Idaho where I attended Frontier Elementary. We
later moved to Meridian, Idaho where I attended school at Linder Elementary for first and second
grade. My parents decided to move us once more to Kuna, Idaho where they build the home I
grew up in. In Kuna, all the schools are split up according to grade. I went to Indian Creek
Elementary for third and fourth grade, then finished up grade school at Teed Elementary in fifth
grade. From sixth grade to eighth grade I went to Kuna Middle School then on to Kuna High
School from ninth to twelfth grade.
During my junior and senior year of high school I took three concurrent credit courses
through different colleges taught at my high school. My senior year I completed the Certified
Nursing Assistant course through College of Western Idaho and began working as a C.N.A
shortly after graduation. After high school, I attended Boise State University where I began my
general education classes as a nursing major. One year later, I transferred to College of Western
Idaho to continue on with my prerequisite courses and shortly after changed my major to
elementary education. I am presently pursuing this education degree with plans to graduate with
an associates degree.
At Kuna High School, they have a work based learning program where you go and assist
at an actual place of business, in a career field that you would consider pursuing after graduation.
I attended two different classrooms where I helped the teachers with varying tasks, very similar
to student observations. I absolutely loved this experience, and teaching then became something
I quickly became passionate about and loved.

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Throughout my life and in my role as a student, I have experienced many different types
of teachers, and just like any profession there are good educators and bad educators. These
different educator experiences have not only taught me the type of teacher I want to be but it has
also taught me the type of teacher I do not want to be. I want to be an educator that makes a
difference in students lives, is honest, and sincerely cares about my students well-being and
their futures. I want to be the type of teacher that my students are excited to come to school to
learn; not whine and complain when that school bell rings. I want to be an involved teacher and
attend as many sporting events and extracurricular activities outside of the classroom as I can.
Throughout my entire education (K-12) I had one teacher that did exactly as I listed above.
Shelby Harris, my fourth grade teacher. Now that I am on to college, we continue to talk on
occasion and she still gives me the best advice. She often proves to me, then and now, that she
cares about me personally and intellectually as a child as well as an adult. This teacher was
chosen to be in a documentary called Teach, hosted by Queen Latifah, and I believe she
absolutely deserved that recognition. She is by far the most phenomenal educator to ever come
into my life and she played a significant part in my choice of becoming an educator.
Work History Service and/or Extracurricular Activities
During my senior year of high school, I began working for a company that helps
developmentally disabled children, varying in ages five to seventeen. My responsibilities here
included practicing challenging tasks, transportation, supervision, role model behavior, and
activity participation. This job was undoubtedly hard, but played a big part in my decision to
work with children for a lifetime.
Upon completion of high school, as well the Certified Nursing Assistant course I
mentioned, I was hired on full-time at St. Lukes Medical Center on the Labor and Delivery unit
where I worked for six years with an initial plan to major in nursing. During those six years I
learned so much about pregnancy, anatomy, healthcare, babies, medications and more but in my
second year at this hospital I began supporting other units including Pediatrics. I absolutely loved
to float to this unit and be around kids so it was then that I decided to change my major to
elementary education. My desire to become a nurse quickly faded away, and the joy and passion
of working with children everyday sparked my initial drive to switch majors. I do believe that

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my choice to change my major and choose elementary education as my future and career path
was unquestionably the right decision for me.
Four months ago, I turned in my resignation letter at St. Lukes. Although it was an
excellent job and extremely flexible while working towards my degree, I decided it was best to
part ways and become focused on my studies and finishing school. I am currently working for
the West Ada School District as a substitute teacher on an as needed basis. This has been a
wonderful experience, to be in many different classrooms with students of all different ages. I
have learned that so far, I am loving third and fourth grade.
Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career
When I was a little girl, all I ever wanted to do was play teacher. I would teach my
stuffed animals, my grandparents, and often forced my two younger brothers to play as well. I
would come up with assignments, grade their homework, and consult with my parents when my
brothers werent doing very well in pretend school. I even had a whiteboard, which made me
think I was so official. As I got older, I was convinced teachers make hardly any money, so I later
decided I was going to be a nurse. I would then make decent money and care for people; a job
similar to teaching in a rewarding aspect. Although I enjoy the health care field, teaching is and
has always been my desired passion.
The most important thing to me in a list of extrinsic rewards (salaries, work schedule,
status, power, etc.) is the desirable work schedule. For six years I worked at a hospital with an
anything but desirable schedule. I worked the night shift, weekends, holidays, and very long
twelve hours shifts. As a teacher, none of those apply. I am more interested in the intrinsic
rewards associated with an education major such as, students, performance of a significant social
service, stimulation and support from fellow teachers, and the work of teaching. As I began my
student observation hours for Education 202, in just a short amount of time, I felt connected to
many students in the class. I am looking forward to having a great connection with many of my
own students one day, making a difference in their lives, and helping them along their journey
towards adulthood. I am also looking forward to building relationships with fellow teachers, as I
know many coworkers become more of great friends, as well as someone to share ideas and
collaborate with.

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Professional Goals
In January 2016, I began my final semester at the College of Western Idaho with plans to
graduate in May with my Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education. I am so excited,
relieved, and beyond overjoyed to have reached my goals thus far. It has been a long, bumpy,
somewhat undecided road but I am grateful to see the light at the end of the tunnel shine through.
After graduation at C.W.I, I am planning on transferring to Western Governors University
to finish up my Bachelors degree and potentially work towards a Masters degree. Once I have
completed my Bachelors degree and begin to gain some classroom experience, I would love to
be able to teach children who are admitted long-term in the hospital as the Pediatric unit has been
dear to my heart.
Conclusion
It has been a long road to reach where I am today but I am so blessed and forever grateful for
each of my professors guidance thus far in my educational career, as well the love and support
from my family and closest friends. Each school and job has helped shape me into the person I
am today as well as slowly molding me into the teacher I will become. All of my experiences
have prepared me for the demand of classroom teaching and I cannot wait to have a classroom of
my own.