Educational Scholarship Essay

I am presently a Senior in the Elementary Education program at University of Montana Missoula with an expected graduation date of December 2011.  I will continue as a Post Baccalaureate student online to add a Library Media Endorsement to my teaching degree.

            As you can see by my educational background, I ended my high school career with a GED. To add a few more details, I dropped out of high school at age sixteen to focus on becoming a mother. While attending to my baby with the assistance of my family, I attained my GED and began a college career culminating with a 3.75 GPA and an Associate of Science in Business Management with a concentration in Computer Science Information.

I put my education into practice as Founder and Director of a daycare facility for children 0-8 for four years. For an additional twelve years, my husband and I were Co-Founders and Managers of four retail bagel/coffee shops both in Connecticut and in Montana where we worked with the youth of the communities as employers. During this same time we also home-schooled our two youngest children, where the inspiration and excitement for teaching was awakened in me.

When we enrolled our children in public school, I began substitute teaching in K-12 for two years and became a Paraprofessional for an additional two years. During this time, I was able to practice and explore many varied opportunities in working with students in addition to the expected duties of a substitute. Some experiences include one-on-one with a student with dyspraxia, working with grades 1-4 in reading and phonics instruction, one-on-one math instruction, high school choir directing (including attending regional and state music festivals), to mention a few. These opportunities allowed for me to witness firsthand what is required of a teacher on a daily basis. My co-workers and students’ parents were continually telling me I should become a teacher. After a great deal of personal deliberation, I finally decided to follow their suggestions and enrolled in college. I applied and was accepted at UMWestern with a focused, directed vision of the objectives I needed to accomplish my goal.

While enrolled in the Elementary Education program at UMW, I was elected to the Alpha Chi National College Honors Scholarship Society and maintained a 3.8 GPA. I inquired and was offered a Project LETTERS scholarship which required me to transfer to UMT. In order to receive the full benefit of this grant, I would be required to uphold an intense, rigorous schedule. This past fall I needed to take twenty-one credits, where I received the only C to date in my academics.

After graduation in December of this year, I plan to add a Library Media endorsement to my degree which I will complete in the summer of 2012. My goal is to teach fourth through sixth grade for approximately ten years after which time I would like to become a Teacher/Librarian.

I believe that my life and classroom experiences have well prepared me with a solid foundation to become a successful teacher. I can say with confidence that I have done my best and have been blessed with the benefit of hearing others give me the assurance of a job well done. Through it all, I have developed the resolve and desire to have a positive impact on the lives of children.

Video Critique I

Viewing myself teaching a lesson to students has been an eye opening experience. I knew I was nervous but at the beginning of the 5^th grade Language Arts lesson, I continually played with my rings while folding and unfolding my hands. However, as the lesson continued I began to relax which was evidenced through my body language and demonstrative use of my hands. After watching the videotape, I was able to look critically at the presentation of my lesson to the class and develop an action plan for improvement.

Areas of Strength

Areas of strength include how I managed the class throughout the lesson and my discernment on reading the students’ understanding. When noticing that students were not listening and staring off without looking at their books, I called their name and redirected their attention back to the text asking them a question to get them to engage. I also located myself next to the student and made eye contact with them, pointing to the book. When the class as a whole were wearing vacant looks on their faces, I realized that they didn’t understand what I taught and restated my explanation another way along with examples.

Areas of Improvement

Areas of improvement include adherence to the lesson plan, introducing objectives, integrating various disciplines for visual learners, closure of the lesson, and a more effective tone of voice. I realized that when I began the lesson, I jumped right into the middle of my plan without clearly stating the objectives, reasons or applications for the skill I was introducing. Additionally, my teaching of the concept lacked written reinforcement of examples and key ideas. After introducing the concept, I just turned them loose to do independent work without review which created some confusion about the lesson. As for my tone of voice, I sounded unsure some of the time and questioning while instructing. Moreover, I used the term “you guys” many times while addressing the class.

Teaching Effectiveness Targets

I will consciously change how I address the students using 5^th graders, learners, students, ladies and gentlemen, or class rather than “guys” or “you guys”.

I will stick to the lesson plan progression by listing objectives, key ideas and examples on the board before and during teaching.

I will consciously lower the tone of my voice to exude a more confident and directive quality during instruction.