I am pursuing a Masters in Education and a single subject
teaching credential, which will allow me to teach in the public school system.
Specifically I want to obtain an M. Ed. with a general education teaching
emphasis and become authorized to teach general science courses as well as my
specialty of biology. As a move towards this goal, I have taken and passed both
CSET general science subtests and the biology/life science subtest. I have also
earned an Associate of Arts in University Studies with an emphasis in math and
science and a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. Both sets of coursework have
prepared me in different ways to become an effective teacher.
My time spent studying biology as well as other physical
sciences gave me a strong foundation for understanding and appreciating the
natural world. Aside from that, the lab work and more specifically the
fieldwork and field trips I participated in brought out my curiosity. My
professor, Doctor Robin Ikeda, inspired me to look at the world, ask questions,
find my own answers, and test them out. Concretely, she allowed me and a
partner to carry out a fungi survey in the canyon Chaffey College students had
been studying for over twenty years, something that was very different than
most other projects but just as enlightening. The area had been destroyed by
fire five years prior, and this survey allowed us to not just catalogue species
but to inquire as to why these particular types were thriving above others and
to try and understand the recovery of the environment. I have taken this
skillset with me since, and it will be helpful as I not only teach scientific
concepts but also how I approach teaching itself. Teachers who show their own
passion for the subject and who demonstrate that they still look for answers in
the world are much more likely to get the students interested as well. I
experienced this first hand in junior high and high school with two different
but equally inspiring teachers.
As for my anthropology coursework, I have garnered an
invaluable way of approaching others in our very diverse society. Specifically,
because of my study of culture, I feel I am prepared to deal effectively with
the very diverse student body I will face. One thing that was emphasized in my courses
was taking a bottom-up approach to studying situations, which means to look at
them from the perspective of the individual rather than the group. This gives
better insight into what situations people are really dealing with, and this
allows me to tailor my approach in the most effective and meaningful way. A
second, equally valuable lesson I learned was that you cannot approach a
situation from your point-of-view alone because, chances are, the students you
are trying to educate and help will come from a different one.
My time spent at UCR, one of the most diverse learning
environments in the country, has also prepared me for this, and I want to
return to earn my M. Ed. and credential so I can share my love of learning.
Aside from this reason, my experience taking two education classes in the graduate
school allowed me to see what kind of experience I could have within the program.
The GSOE has also shown its commitment to attracting and preparing math and
science teachers with the Copernicus Project, something I as a community
college student was fortunate to participate in. All of these are strong
reasons why I want to pursue my Masters and credential at UCR and to further my
own learning.
I have always enjoyed learning, which is what compelled
me to take so many classes and why it took so long to earn my Bachelor Degree.
My broad education in liberal arts and sciences also garnered me the greatest
recognition an undergraduate can receive from an honor society- an induction
into Phi Beta Kappa. This passion for learning I have wanted to turn into a
passion for teaching for as long as I can remember. It started out as a simple
reading of my favorite book to my first grade class and was further nurtured by
the multiple times I led study groups and privately tutored friends and fellow
classmates.
My closest taste of being an actual teacher then came
when I spent thirty-five hours in a ninth grade science class with my mentor
teacher Ms. Erikca Brown. Most of what I did at first was simple observation as
I tied it to concepts I was learning in my education course. Slowly I came out
of my shell and was more comfortable taking an active role in the student's
learning. This culminated in me preparing my own lecture, approved by my mentor
and presenting it to the two classes. The entire experience was fulfilling as I
got to use the knowledge I had acquired in my own study of biology and present
it with a game I myself had played as a college freshman and as a Copernicus
Project intern. Receiving compliments and seeing them have fun while learning
was so rewarding.
I also understand that teaching will have its fair share
of challenges that will vary in degree. An effective teacher must be able to
recognize such challenges and work with students, parents, and colleagues to
find solutions. As such, I feel my personal qualities of patience and
understanding coupled with the broad worldview I acquired as an anthropology
student will allow me to do this. A good teacher must also be able to
communicate well, a skill I have been able to grow and refine in my eight years
of customer service and my experiences in study groups and tutoring.
To me, teaching is not just telling someone information.
It is inspiring others not just to learn but to want to learn. I was fortunate
to have two great science teachers, one in middle school and one in high school
and even more lucky to study under professors who know their subject and
conveyed it with such passion that it inspired me to think and explore on my
own. Our students need, especially in math and my subject of science, teachers
who will do this for them. My passion for learning and teaching, my love for
science, my drive to encourage and help others, and my abilities to listen,
understand, and communicate with others I know will allow me to be that kind of
teacher. No matter where I end up teaching, I look forward to sharing not just
my knowledge but my passion and being not just an effective and fun teacher but
a voice and an ear for my students.
