My Life as a Learner

Photo CC- Krissy Vonosdale

My life as a learner has been full of challenges and successes. School was never easy for me, but it  was something that was not dreaded either… not until my later years anyway. I have had many experiences that have allowed me to grow and adapt as a learner that I believe will help me become an understanding and patient elementary teacher.

Photo CC- By Alex

At a young age I discovered that school was going to take some work. It seems that it took me a while to learn to read and I still struggle with math, though it is a little easier than it use to be! I knew that I could achieve the grade I wanted, but I knew that I was going to have to put in hours of studying and practice. With that being said, I was not one that got upset if I did not get an “A”, but that was only if I knew that I worked as hard as I could for the grade that I had received. English was easier for me than most subjects, math the hardest, and science most enjoyable. I loved science, but struggled with math…yeah, chemistry was challenging! That was one of the most rewarding classes that I had ever taken. I enjoyed the class and even though it was difficult, I thrived on the critical thinking that it entailed. Speaking of critical thinking, let’s talk about the teachers that got me to where I am today.

 Phot0 CC- By Chris Yarzab

Photo CC-By K.W. Barrett

I had a range of teachers that to be honest, were not the best. During my educational career of 16 years, I have had roughly four teachers that have truly impacted my education in a positive, encouraging way. From those four, there were some that were mediocre and others that I still question how they kept a teaching position for so long. They seemed to just go through the motions of the day, do the  readings and the worksheets and called it good. What was exciting and challenging about that? Nothing. Looking back, no wonder concepts didn’t stick with me. There was nothing to keep me interested. I know that my classroom will be ran differently and that is all I can do about it now.

 Photo CC- By Nolan Williamson

I will be honest and say that out of the multiple reasons that I decided to go into education, bad teachers was one of them. I wanted to prove that I could be better than them, that I could reach students better than they did, and that I was in this profession for the opposite reasons that they were. The four teachers that did impact my education and my life are the teachers that I admire and want to be like. It’s funny how inspired you can be from such a small group of people, but I am so thankful that these wonderful teachers have been apart of my life. They have showed me that I can achieve my goals and I know that they will always be there to answer my questions and help guide me through my life’s journey. Not to mention, model how I would like to run my classroom.

Earlier I mentioned that school was and still is difficult for me. It is beyond frustrating, but it is something that I am grateful for. Through the struggle, I have developed a dedication to my profession and steady work ethic. The countless hours of studying has paid off in more ways than one. I have learned that just because I am not getting the help I need from the teacher, does not mean that I cannot learn the content; it means that with some time and effort, I can teach myself. It has proved to me that I can take my own experiences and better understand my student’s frustrations and figure out a way to solve them. Though I am grateful that I have had these experiences, I will admit that I am burnt out with school. Ironic? Maybe, but I am almost to that point in my life where I am going to be able to start my career and am very excited about that, which keeps me going.  Photo CC-By Denise Krebs

I have not necessarily had the best educational experience, but by far, I have not had the worst. I have found subjects that I enjoy and some that I have no interest in. I feel that college has led me through many “pointless” classes, but I will say that they have made me a better learner. I have learned to keep going and I have done a lot of critical thinking in the subject areas that I did not know about or struggled with. I learn everyday; it may be something new or learned again, but learning never stops, and for that, I am appreciative.