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Autobiographical Essay Justine Turner Professor Jonathan Lord EDUC 201 oundations of Education! "nline

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Introductions #t$s not fair%& #$'e heard these (ords as often as # ha'e said the)* "ther people often use these (ords e'ery day as (ell* As a teenager+ # ,no( # used these (ords often (ith )y parents* Unfortunately+ this habit started at an early age* # (ant to teach ,ids ho( to use their o(n strengths and (or, around their disabilities* # ha'e learned the hard (ay (ith a lot of trial and error* # ha'e not al(ays ta,en ad'antage of the tools that are a'ailable and had )y o(n 'oice* # (ant to teach ,ids an easier (ay to learn* This easier (ay (ill in'ol'e help (hen needed+ independent choices and use of tools that benefit the students* The )ost i)portant thing that (ill gi'e the student the easiest (ay of learning is that ability to find their o(n 'oice* This 'oice (ill help the students learn fro) their strengths and (ea,nesses* Educational Background # gre( up in a s)all rural to(n in #daho* The school$s (hole building included ele)entary+ )iddle school and high school* Each school (as separated by different (ings* All three schools had contact (ith each other+ as a lot of the facilities (ere shared* Currently # a) going to school for an AA in -pecial Education* # plan on attaining )y .achelors degree in -pecial Education (ith a )inor in -pecial /eeds* 0hen # (as in early ele)entary grades+ # lo'ed school* # (as e1cited to go e'ery day* # started school as a typical student* # sho(ed no early signs of troubles (ith learning* # found out later that this is 'ery co))on in children* -tudent s (ith learning disabilities are often not diagnosed until the third grade* # (as tested for -pecial Education (hen # (as in third grade and (as then placed in -pecial Education Classes* As # continued in )y ele)entary grades+ # found that teachers (ho used a lot of hands2 on2 learning opportunities see)ed to understand ho( )y brain (or,ed* # continued to struggle in classes that loaded on the ho)e(or, in lieu of the ti)e #

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(as )issing class for )y -pecial Education courses* This (ould define )y struggles through 3iddle -chool* -chool (as turning into a place # really did not (ant to be* .ecause of )y learning disability # had to learn to do ho)e(or,+ ta,e notes+ and study uni4uely fro) others* # often thought+ and co)plained+ that it (as not fair that # had to read so)ething so )any ti)es 5ust to understand (hat # had read* # ,ne( that # had to do things differently+ but # often felt alone and 'ery stupid* # (as a 'ery shy person and (as 'ery afraid to as, for help fro) )y peers and teachers* # could only tal, to )y -pecial Education teacher (ho (as li,e a second )o) to )e* #n 6igh -chool # continued to (or, 'ery hard and at first still struggled (ith the fact that # had to do things differently* # learned that # needed to stand up and 'oice )y opinions7 # ,ne( (hat # had to do to succeed in school* #t still+ at ti)es+ see)ed li,e # (as learning too slo( or in (ays other ,ids didn$t ha'e to* Today # ,no( )y abilities and (hat # need to succeed* The -tate of #daho deter)ines learning through a series of tests called the #-AT* Tests+ (hich are 'ery hard for )e+ )ade )e feel stupid again* #f you didn$t pass your #-AT+ you (ere placed in special classes until you (ere successful* A test that )easures ho( )uch you ,no( (ithout as,ing ho( )uch # ha'e learned+ see)ed to pro'ide the )ost difficult challenge for )e in 6igh -chool* This ,ind of test did not see) to reflect the (hole education 5ourney* #t 5ust ga'e a nu)ber+ but it (as a nu)ber # had to get to graduate* #n )y senior year # did it% # passed all of )y #-AT$s (hich (as one of the happiest days of )y life* #t felt li,e a 'ery big acco)plish)ent* Work History # ha'e had )any 5obs (or,ing (ith children* # ha'e babysat )any children of different ages since 3iddle -chool* # (as a su))er school 'olunteer (ith the first grade and got to (or, (ith children (ith special needs* # (as a leader for the Clo'er .uds in 826 for the four years

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(hile # (as in 6igh -chool* # also helped teach church2school and acted as a teacher in classroo)s* # (ould ha'e to co)e up (ith acti'ities for all of these areas (hen # (or,ed (ith these groups* # en5oy (or,ing (ith ,ids and # li,e to find acti'ities that in'ol'e all of the ,ids* #n college )y (or,2study 5ob (as to (or, in the pre2 ,indergarten classroo) at the C-# Child Care Center* During the su))er # (or,ed (ith the 3igrant 6ead -tart as a toddler teacher aide and then # (or,ed as an infant and toddler aide 9 bus aide the ne1t su))er* #n the fall # (or,ed as a teacher$s aide in the toddler and ,indergarten roo) at the C-# Child Care Center again* This e1perience led to )e (or,ing at su))er school for t(o years at the :lenns erry -chool* During su))er school # (or,ed (ith special needs children* After su))er school since+ # (as doing classes online7 # (as able to (or, as a substitute teacher at the :lenns erry -chool* # (as a substitute for special education classes* 0hile # (as subbing+ a position opened up in this area* # applied and inter'ie(ed for a Para Educator and got the 5ob (or,ing (ith the special education students and special needs students* #n )y 5ob )y duties include assisting teachers (ith their lessons and (or,ing one on one (ith the students+ changing diapers+ feeding+ riding the bus (ith a student+ and going into classroo)s (ith students that need help* Service and/or Extracurricular Activities #n 6igh -chool # (as in )any different clubs such as .usiness Professionals of A)erica+ 826+ Dra)a+ /ational 6onor -ociety+ # (as )y class secretary+ and tra'el club* #n )y tra'el club # spent )y 5unior and senior year (or,ing hard to earn )oney to go on a trip to #taly and :reece* This (as a 'ery challenging 5ob # had to )o'e pipe during the su))er and sell cara)el popcorn during the school year but in the end it taught )e that things are better appreciated (hen you (or, hard and earn it* Each one of these e1tracurricular acti'ities pro'ided a role of

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responsibility and goals that had to be reached* .y doing these e1tracurricular acti'ities it allo(ed )e to 5uggle )y school (or, and )y e1tra pro5ect (hich taught )e ti)e )anage)ent* Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career 0hen # first started out in College # (anted to get a degree in sign language and (or, (ith ,ids (ith disabilities but # shortly found that sign language (asn$t for )e* -o # decided to chec, out the Early Childhood progra) because # (ould still get to (or, (ith children and help )a,e a difference* # soon started to second guess )y decision and decided that teaching (asn$t for )e so # (ent and chec,ed out the )edical fields and got )y C/A and then # got the chance to (or, t(o su))ers (ith the -pecial /eeds children in :lenns erry* #t (as here that # found )y passion again for teaching and # begin ta,ing classes to get )y AA in -pecial Education # plan on getting )y .achelors in -pecial Education (ith a )inor in -pecial /eeds* # anticipate that by co)pleting )y goals # (ill be a -pecial Education teacher (ith a 3inor in -pecial /eeds* # hope to pro'ide a learning en'iron)ent that is both positi'e and helpful* # hope to inspire students to achie'e (hate'er they set their )inds to do* # (as fortunate enough to ha'e teachers (ho helped )e achie'e )y goals and # (ant to be able to the sa)e* -chool can be a 'ery scary place (hen you ha'e special needs* # ha'e learned to stand up for )yself and to learn in a different (ays* # understand ho( teachers can help guide you or totally set you bac,(ards* # understand (hat it$s li,e to be in special education* # ,no( e'eryone learns differently and )y life e1perience allo(s )e to help others reach their potential* 3y school life had )ade )e (ant to do all # could to )a,e school better for those (ho learn differently+ li,e )e* # (ant to teach ,ids ho( to use their o(n strengths and (or, around their disabilities* # ha'e learned the hard (ay and # (ant to teach ,ids an easier (ay to learn* # belie'e

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that )y e1periences as a ;special& student (ould help ,ids* # (ant to teach students (ith -pecial /eed* # (ant the) to al(ays feel special+ but not different* Professional oals 3y short ter) goals are to co)plete )y 5ob as Para Educator then attend classes on C-# ca)pus to co)plete )y AA in -pecial Education* After that # hope to get a 5ob as a Para Educator in a school district closer to college* # (ant to continue to (or, as # continue )y education* # (ant to earn )y -pecial Education degree (ith a )inor in -pecial /eeds as a -pecial Education Teacher in a local school district* All of these short ter) goals (ill help )e to )eet )y long ter) goal of co)pleting )y education to secure a 5ob in the area that # (ant to be successful in* # (ill ha'e to (or, hard to co)plete classes and i)pro'e the (ays # (or, (ith children (ith -pecial /eeds as (ell as i)pro'e )y o(n life* 3y 5ourney through education has pro'ided tears of struggle and tears of 5oy* # no( cheer )y o(n strengths on and learn fro) )y (ea,nesses* # (ant to use )y 5ourney to help others learn (ith disabilities* # hope to be able to guide students through the tough ti)es and e)brace the good* 3y goal is to be a teacher that helps guide the parts or paths that (ill lead to a successful 5ourney* -o they can follo( an easier path to success* The paths can be filled (ith detours or e'en stop signs* These ;bu)ps& in the road can be great learning tools* # (ant to share )y e1periences so students can )a,e educated choices* # (ant to pro'ide learning tools to o'erco)e failures as (ell as find an easier path to success* # (ant to teach )y students to beco)e the biggest influence on the)2sel'es by e1periencing the (hole picture of learning* 3y students (ill then beco)e independent learners (ho (ill sur'i'e and co)pete in today$s (orld*