Personal Statement:Teaching 3

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Teaching Personal Statement

Teachers open the door, but you enter by yourself. - Anonymous The main reason I want to become a teacher is to have an influence on people's lives. By being a teacher you are directly connected to people everyday throughout the school year, by being a good role model and through positive reinforcement I could have a direct effect on people

I must be honest I have not always wanted to be a teacher. I have been travelling through the educational highway for a few years now. My initiation into further education began at one of the roughest schools in Northern Ireland. Where studying was frowned upon and being interested in the Arts was enough to get oneself beaten up. I somehow managed to get a few GCSES and found myself at a Christian Brothers Grammar School. It was a highly respected establishment, but I hated the place, my only saving grace was Basketball (which I excelled at, playing for Ireland) and Art. At this school is where I met one of the two people who have inspired me and have helped me come to the conclusion that I would like to become a Teacher

My A level Art Tutor, was a massive inspiration to me

A scraggly haired, eccentric with a habit of bursting into Irish jigs, song, poetry and even more bizarre tendency of balancing classroom objects on his forehead. He made classes interesting. He made me think and use my creative talents and take them to a whole new level. He helped us keep our spirits up and our minds focused. His interest in my work and constant criticism (positive and negative) made me want to continue with my studies take them to University level, hoping that I would find more inspirational mentors like him

After A levels I did a Foundation Art course, which I loved doing

Unfortunately the course didn't quite capture me enough to make me pursue a career in the practical side of the Arts. So I hopped on a plane to America, disillusioned with myself and worked as a Brickie for a year. I came back home and immediately enrolled at University. I graduated with a BA (HONS) in Visual Culture on May 2002

During the 3 years I spent at University I met the other person who would make me believe in my studies and ultimately make me want to become a teacher. She was a lovely woman, a product of the late 60's hippy era. Her classes were so relaxed. I felt as if I was listening to music when she spoke and lectured us. Her open mind, self-belief and teaching techniques (relaxed but equally as stern) made me want to attend my lectures and I actually enjoyed them. This gave me a new sense of belonging with the studies I undertook, and like my A-level teacher, she gave me a direction, made me believe in myself and ultimately made me want to learn

The experiences I had in my aforementioned schools and Universities led me to think. If I were to become a Teacher, what type of a teacher would I be? The type of teaching philosophy that I agreed with the most was pragmatism, so the type of classroom environment that I would use would be a type of class participation and openly discussing the topic amongst themselves. The students would have a role in the learning instead of just me lecturing on the subject matter. The lesson plans would be designed to give the students something that is practical and they would be able to use later in life, which is something that I have tried to do with my own life. They (The students) would still be working directly with me and at the same time interacting with each other. The classroom management would not be as strict as most classrooms, there would still be rules to abide by but the student would have a more active role in the class. The activities that the class did or participated in would be used to get them to think practically and work as a group or work with me as a whole class. They would not always be working in a group because sometimes the class would call for individual work and individual learning. I am a firm believer in individuality, and in today's society it is far too easy for people to become followers not leaders

If you always put students in groups, there will be some students that will take advantage of your teaching methods. The teacher's role in the class would be to do all the classroom management, providing the assignments, evaluating the grades, and being a person who is an authority figure. I would also try to share my experiences in life, talk to the students, and try to get them to interact with each other more. This was something that I felt many teachers in my schooling career did not focus on

The teacher is in a role of responsibility that gives them the opportunity to reach out and help mold some children's lives. They have the power to help people understand the importance of school and learning to enjoy coming to school. My foundation is the fact that I have a good education that enables me to be the best teacher I can be

Every person in life has to have professionalism regardless of what kind of job he or she is involved with and without a professional attitude there cannot be success in life.

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