Ticket Man
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 306
I'll preface this by saying I'm in a 5.5 year dual degree program which ends with me earning a bachelor's degree in history and a master's of secondary education.
I have already been admitted to the teacher education program, and have one final step. Admission to the final graduate portion of the program where I will take 500 level courses.
I'll paste my essay below. I have been through several drafts and have gone to the campus career center for help on it as well. I just thought I'd get the review of one final audience before finally submitting it this afternoon. The main thing I am looking for is if there are any grammatical errors which Word could not find. TIA!
Now is the time. Words uttered by my father, shaped a turning point in my life as I headed into my junior year of high school. I realized that I could not float by in life and attain the rewarding existence which would be provided by my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. Recognizing the importance of the next few years, I worked tirelessly and achieved my goal of turning around my life and gaining admittance into Virginia Commonwealth University. I was finally on my way to becoming a member of the most important group of people in the world, the community of teachers.
I have always had two passions in my life, history and empowering others. It was an obvious realization that these passions would be easily merged into the role of a history teacher. Although my goals have never changed, there have been barriers which have made my dream of becoming a teacher a much more difficult reality. I have had to manage 40+ hour work schedules along with my full-time student status, still managing to find time to tutor high-school students. When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer I knew I had to care of him, he took care of me for 18 years as a single father. He inspired me to become a teacher and I could not let him leave this world before he saw me achieve that goal. It would have been much easier to have just been a student. However, the things I learned from these obstacles helped me realize the impact that we can have on the lives of others.
VCU has provided me with an incredible opportunity to expand my understanding of history and learn how to use this knowledge in the classroom. My undergraduate courses have provided insight into a myriad of cultures and have shaped my understanding of the world as a whole. Thanks to my participation in the Extended Teacher Preparation program, I will be able to better help students comprehend the world around them. VCUs School of Education has afforded me the ability to study the role of the teacher, and to develop the skills necessary to become a guiding partner in the lives of students. My practicum experience at the middle school level only confirmed that teaching is my purpose in life. The impact that I was able to have on students in just a span of a few weeks was one of the most joyful experiences I have ever had. It was more incredible than anything that could be described by a textbook or lecture. This was a hands-on experience that could only be provided by a competent leading university, such as the one I was attending.
Throughout my education at VCU, I have had great professors who have used their years of experience to mold the model of what it means to be both an historian and a great teacher. I am ready to use the skills and knowledge learned from life and schooling to take the final step on my journey of becoming a teacher. The motivation provided by father six years ago launched my life in a new direction. The voyage has not been an easy one, however it has been gratifying. My life experience, knowledge of history, and passion for education make the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University the perfect fit for the final stop on a lifelong path of learning. Now is the time.
I have already been admitted to the teacher education program, and have one final step. Admission to the final graduate portion of the program where I will take 500 level courses.
I'll paste my essay below. I have been through several drafts and have gone to the campus career center for help on it as well. I just thought I'd get the review of one final audience before finally submitting it this afternoon. The main thing I am looking for is if there are any grammatical errors which Word could not find. TIA!
Now is the time. Words uttered by my father, shaped a turning point in my life as I headed into my junior year of high school. I realized that I could not float by in life and attain the rewarding existence which would be provided by my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. Recognizing the importance of the next few years, I worked tirelessly and achieved my goal of turning around my life and gaining admittance into Virginia Commonwealth University. I was finally on my way to becoming a member of the most important group of people in the world, the community of teachers.
I have always had two passions in my life, history and empowering others. It was an obvious realization that these passions would be easily merged into the role of a history teacher. Although my goals have never changed, there have been barriers which have made my dream of becoming a teacher a much more difficult reality. I have had to manage 40+ hour work schedules along with my full-time student status, still managing to find time to tutor high-school students. When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer I knew I had to care of him, he took care of me for 18 years as a single father. He inspired me to become a teacher and I could not let him leave this world before he saw me achieve that goal. It would have been much easier to have just been a student. However, the things I learned from these obstacles helped me realize the impact that we can have on the lives of others.
VCU has provided me with an incredible opportunity to expand my understanding of history and learn how to use this knowledge in the classroom. My undergraduate courses have provided insight into a myriad of cultures and have shaped my understanding of the world as a whole. Thanks to my participation in the Extended Teacher Preparation program, I will be able to better help students comprehend the world around them. VCUs School of Education has afforded me the ability to study the role of the teacher, and to develop the skills necessary to become a guiding partner in the lives of students. My practicum experience at the middle school level only confirmed that teaching is my purpose in life. The impact that I was able to have on students in just a span of a few weeks was one of the most joyful experiences I have ever had. It was more incredible than anything that could be described by a textbook or lecture. This was a hands-on experience that could only be provided by a competent leading university, such as the one I was attending.
Throughout my education at VCU, I have had great professors who have used their years of experience to mold the model of what it means to be both an historian and a great teacher. I am ready to use the skills and knowledge learned from life and schooling to take the final step on my journey of becoming a teacher. The motivation provided by father six years ago launched my life in a new direction. The voyage has not been an easy one, however it has been gratifying. My life experience, knowledge of history, and passion for education make the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University the perfect fit for the final stop on a lifelong path of learning. Now is the time.
