Introduction

When I was eleven, my mom picked me up from school one day. Upon getting in the car she told me that she had signed me up for martial arts classes. I looked at her utterly confused and did not understand why she would do such a thing. She said that it would help me be a confident person and I would thank her one day. Little did I know how right my mom would be. In August 2001 I received my first degree black belt. My black belt test was the first significant turning point in my life. Through the disciplined practice, sweat, and tears, I realized that I was able to accomplish and be successful with anything I do in life. At age sixteen I was hired as a part time instructor. I taught children not only how to punch and kick, but how to believe in themselves, just as my instructors had taught me. I continued to teach throughout my teen years. 

 

During my senior year of high school, I was asked by guidance counselor what my plans were for after graduation. Without so much as a blink, I responded, “I want to teach.” Through my career as a martial arts instructor, I had fallen in love with what a gift teaching really is. I realized at that time, what an impact teachers can make in children’s lives and how rewarding that must be as a career. I used this as my motivation to start my college search. Wheelock College was suggested to me by a friend. Upon my first visit I knew this was the school for me. Specifically, I really enjoyed the fact of being a part of a small school in a big city. Although what truly sealed the deal was Wheelock’s mission statement: “To improve the lives of children and families.” I felt this statement aligned directly with my main reason for wanting to become a teacher and was a place where I could achieve my goal. 

Through the education program at Wheelock College, I have continued to develop my identity as an educator, beginning with my prepracticum experience at Winship Elementary. I was placed in a fourth grade classroom that also had full-time student teacher from Boston College. My full practicum was in West Roxbury at the Mission Hill Pilot School in a 2/3 classroom. Both of these student teaching opportunities have impacted who I am as a teacher and who I am still striving to be. At Winship, I learned the importance of building a classroom community and a relationship with your students. The students in my fourth grade class lost a fellow classmate after she took her own life.  Through this traumatic and unfortunate event, I witnessed how children are able to cope and heal. Without the community and support that was provided by their teacher, I am not sure how they would have made it through. At Mission Hill, I learned just how important the families and their stories are to student success. Located in West Roxbury, the student’s socio-economic statuses and ethnicities greatly varied. I quickly realized that in order to be successful with this group of students I needed to learn as much as I could about their lives outside of the classroom. 

As I prepare to leave Wheelock and enter the professional world, I continue to reflect on all of my teaching experiences and refine my own teaching philosophy. I am greatly thankful for all the opportunities I have had and all the ones that are yet to come.