Autobiography

I suppose that the best place to start for writing about what will influence my teaching of social studies is a brief look at why I am going into teaching. I planned for several years to work in a Museum setting, but after an internship I realized that this was not my calling. My job was not meaningful. I realized that for me to be happy after college I needed to work in a profession that I found significant and that I felt made a difference. A few days spent working with the Museum’s Education Department allowed me to experience work that did feel meaningful. This is why I chose to teach. This will also influence my teaching. I will approach teaching in a way that not only allows me to teach students the content but will also allow me to impact their lives in a meaningful way. This means teaching higher level thinking skills and the importance of being good citizen.
The second aspect of who I am that will influence my teaching is my love of History. Clearly as someone who majored in history I have a passion for history. I love the topic and enjoy learning myself. In my spare time I enjoy reading books that deal with history, whether fact or historical based fiction. I will attempt to share this passion with my students as I enter the classroom. The best teachers that I have had have loved history and their passion is contagious. I hope to continue my own learning from both new studies and books and also from my students.
Next, I firmly believe in the value of discussion. Discussion in the classroom is important for several reasons. Most importantly, I believe that the importance of studying history and social studies is not just to learn the facts and information but also to promote higher level thinking. Students need to know how to think critically and write well. These are the skills that will really help students do well once they are out of school. Discussion is also important because it allows students to express their own thoughts and realize what is important to them. Furthermore, it allows students to learn more about their classmates. Finally, discussion breaks up the monotony of lecture and makes class more interesting and fun.
A final factor that will influence my teaching is my desire to respect everyone. I believe that, regardless of backgrounds, every student deserves to be respected. Some of the worst teachers I have had did not respect students, while the best respected everyone. The best teachers were interested in our lives. I will try to learn as much about my students as possible.
Teaching will hopefully be an exciting and rewarding career. It will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it!