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Type "Teaching Autobiography" centered at the top of the page,
followed by your name on the next double-spaced line. The "Teaching Autobiography"
should answer the questions, "What is my philosophy
of education? What gifts, experiences and expectations do I bring to student
teaching?" The
further explanation of the four major components of the narrative which
follows will suggest, but shouldn't limit, choices for the composition.
- Philosophy - The student teacher candidate
should revisit the philosophy written for EDU 200 to review what a philosophy
is. Since this paper was written, education students have been involved
in many classes, classrooms, and experiences which should cause them
to reconsider their beliefs and necessitate an update of the original.
This section of the application is vital not only in determining a match
of style with a classroom teacher, but is another step in the never ending
process of clarifying convictions about teaching and learning.
- Gifts - A student teacher has reasons to
believe he/she will be an effective teacher. Here the place to talk about
the unique gifts which lead the candidate to have this confidence. In
this section of the narrative, the aspiring student teacher should go
deeper than "I love kids" and "I can make learning fun" to
explain what he or she will bring to the classroom that will enhance
student learning and well-being.
- Experiences - In addition to gifts, student
teacher candidates have had experience which have influenced them in
two ways: they have contributed to their philosophy and have helped develop
the gifts which make them unique and qualified to be a student teacher.
One or two of these experiences which have been especially influential
and/or which gave a sense of who the candidate is should be chosen for
this paper.
- Expectations - The prospective cooperating
teacher will be very interested in what the student teacher candidate's
expectations are for student teaching. What experiences are anticipated
by the candidate during student teaching, what is hoped to learn form
the cooperating teacher, the students, the staff, and the parents, and
how the candidate hopes to "look" as he or she emerges from
student teaching should be explained in this section. This goal setting
paragraph will help both the cooperating teacher and university supervisor
focus on means to help the student teacher reach his or her target.
The finished product should be no more than two pages double
spaced, correct in its form and grammar, well organized in any order you prefer,
and have dynamic introductory and effective summary paragraphs.
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