As far as I could remember, education was always the forerunner of my life; both of my parents have been in the teaching field for as long as I can remember, my grandmother taught me to read at an early age, and playing school was one of my most popular past-times. In the summer months my mom would have my brothers and I do worksheets everyday to keep our minds at work. Despite these constant reminders of learning while growing up, I never believed teaching was in my future. My relationship with education has been a long and bumpy road, but now more than ever I am convinced that we are destined to be together.
There were times that I struggled through my own education. I’ve always been an AB student, but some grades were easier to pass through than others. My junior year in high school in particular was difficult; I had the stresses of passing the TAKS and the SATs on me and graduation was another looming factor beating on my back. I felt lost at times because I wasn’t ready for “the real world.” I ended up going through a stage of rebellion and wanted to drop out of school. What got me through was of course my family and friends, but an unlikely source of comfort were my books; reading took me to worlds I didn’t think I could go to, and it helped me get through my educational roadblock because I knew that if I ever wanted to be as good as the authors of those books, I needed an education.
My first burst of inspiration from education came in high school when my freshman English teacher came and brought a new way of teaching into my life. Besides teaching us the standardized lessons required, he chose to let us come into our own with journal writings. Whenever he would ask us to free write I was always excited to let the words in my mind loose on paper. Those journals that I wrote made me comfortable with my way of processing the readings assigned and I was finally able to create my own writing style. I believe that this new found freedom allowed me see that education wasn’t limited to textbook solutions, but could be incorporated to form a perfect union of standardized old fashioned learning and a new individualized twist.
My confidence in my writing and learning grew from there. My second glorious encounter with education came when I started El Paso Community College. In my second semester I found a part-time job at the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). I was a note-taker and my job meant that I was able to take notes at different classes for students who needed them. In those classes I saw different teaching styles and I learned how to engage students in classroom discussion, which question styles for tests are more effective, and what type of teacher the students felt open towards. I was able to see what made a teacher “good” and “bad” in the eyes of their students. This experience made me yearn to be up in front of those podiums and teach what I knew best.
I was a note-taker for a year before I was offered another job within the department, and the experience that made me truly believe that teaching was for me came after that year at CSD. I was promoted to the position of a student services assistant which meant that I would be allowed to tutor students in many different areas. I went through different required trainings so that I could be certified as a tutor. In order to be certified we need to go through 3 levels of training and practicum, and currently I am in Level 2. My goal is to be a Level 3 Master Tutor because I will be officially certified. Through my tutoring I fell in love with instilling knowledge to my students. I have tutored Remedial Math, Art Appreciation, English 1301 and 1302, ESOL, Reading, and Biology. I believe that my experience will help me in teaching because I’ve learned that not all students learn the same way, so I have to come up with different ways to help foster as much understanding as possible.
Within my first six months as a tutor I saw both the good and the bad. There have been some less than perfect tutoring sessions, but those experiences have helped me see what works and what doesn’t. One of my most memorable, and at times demanding, students came to me in the form of a 60 year old Korean woman named Sue. She was the most determined of my students, but also the one that required the most work. With Sue I learned how to develop mini lesson plans because she demanded that I teach her everything that I possibly could about the English language. There were some times that I felt drained by our sessions because she would attack the worksheets I created like a lion attacked its prey. Then again, there were times that I was excited to learn that she passed her tests with flying colors because of what I taught her. My time with Sue, though draining and tiring at times, was one of the most rewarding sessions I had because she placed demands on me that most students take for granted, she demanded an education.
Education has been a continuous presence in my life. As a student I learned what it was like to have teachers make a difference by teaching me old subjects with new twists. I have overcome some hard times and different stresses through my journey as a student, but what I have experienced only makes me compassionate for those kids who will one day be my students. Now in my junior year at college, I find that I am one step closer from being a pupil to a teacher. As a note-taker I was able to observe teaching and learned from those who have been in the field for many years. Through my observation I was able to see what made a teacher a teacher. As a tutor I put my knowledge to the test and found that this is what I want to do for a living. My students, though different in learning styles, all taught me how important another person’s education is when it’s in your hands. I still have much to learn and more to experience, but from what I’ve been through I know that I am ready for whatever comes at me. Education and I haven’t always been friends; there have been times when I felt tired and wanted to give up, but it was through these struggles that I was able to find the beauty in knowledge and the will to take what I learned and share it with someone else. Education may not have always been my first choice, but without a doubt I can now say it has been the best choice for me.
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