Running Head: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

Autobiographical Shanna Skinner Instructor Jonathan Lord EDUC: 201 Foundations of Education Spring 2013

Autobiographical Essay Autobiographical Essay My name is Shanna Skinner. I am 19 years old. I grew up in a small farming/ranching

community called Dingle, Idaho. I am the youngest of six children. I have two older sisters and three older brothers that I look up to when I am making goals in my life and look up to when seeking advice. My mother was a Registered Nurse, and my father owned his own construction company building residential houses. My father passed away four days before my first birthday and my mother never remarried. My mother passed away in the beginning of September my freshman year of high school. My siblings and I are a very close knit family that enjoys spending time with one another. Together as a family, we like to attend and participate in rodeo. My mother got my older siblings involved in rodeo after my father died to keep them occupied and active. I have kept that love of rodeo alive in my own life and still love to go to rodeos. I consider myself a very outgoing and active person. I dont like to waste time by being idle. I enjoy challenging myself by continually setting goals and striving to achieve them. These characteristics helped me successfully participate in high school rodeo and basketball. While participating in basketball and rodeo and going through the trials that I have been through, I have grown as a person and have learned many life lessons that have had a great impact on me. Through my life experience I aim to teach, to exemplify and to involve students in the process of education to create an environment through which they can learn and be an example for them along the way. Educational Background I began my education career in Montpelier, Idaho at the elementary school. I fell right into the routine of school. I enjoyed being in class, learning and being around the kids my age. I

Autobiographical Essay quickly advanced in my studies and became one of the top students in the class. I spent a lot of time while in elementary school with my aunt, who is a sixth grade school teacher. She helped me in my reading and math subjects and pretty soon they became my best subjects in school. I then moved onto Bear Lake Middle School. In middle school, I was allowed to take higher leveled math classes. I enjoyed working my way through my studies and focusing on success. I tested high in ISATS and stayed in the top few of my grade. Bear Lake High School was a new experience for me. While quickly becoming involved in basketball, rodeo, and FFA, I stayed enrolled in the higher level math classes and started into

higher level English and History classes. The higher leveled English and History classes quickly proved to be more of a challenge for me. I went through my lows in school during these classes. I pushed my way through my tough classes and graduated with honors and in the top five in my class. I am currently enrolled in my fourth semester at the College of Southern Idaho studying Elementary Education. I plan on graduating from CSI in the fall of 2013 and continuing my education on the CSI campus through Idaho State University. While completing my Bachelors degree, I plan on emphasizing in math and reading. Work History My family has a very strong ranching background. This is where I learned the importance of hard work. I have held a variety of jobs such as a ranch hand, florist, car detailer, and am currently an assistant manager at Digital Imaging, a blue-print shop located here in Twin Falls. All of these jobs have taught me how to work with and serve people. Some of these jobs I really enjoyed while others I have really disliked. All of these jobs have played an important

Autobiographical Essay role in developing me into the person I am today. They have all taught me patience is a very

important virtue. The world is full of different people. All of our differences make us what we are and there is no one person better than another. My work experiences have taught me to look for the good in everything and everyone. This characteristic will help me be a great educator. It will help me find childrens strengths and help them build on them to become better students. Service and/or Extracurricular Activities All my life I have been involved in extracurricular activities. I started very early in little league basketball and junior rodeo associations. The older I got, the more involved I kept myself. I was very dedicated to the basketball program in our school. I represented my school as a varsity player my last three years of high school. I also participated in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. I led my Chapter as secretary and as President. I took part in the job interview competitions and livestock and horse competitions. My ultimate passion is rodeo. I have been involved with horses and cattle since I was born. I began competing in junior rodeos at age three. Through the years, I have won many belt buckles and other prizes. I have pursued my love of rodeo through high school and even my first two semesters in college. I became a teammate of the College of Southern Idaho rodeo team where I learned a lot about team work and working through problems of injury. Even through my extra-curricular activities I have learned important lessons to use throughout my life. I have enjoyed volunteering in different programs in the community and schools. I have grown to love the program Rope n Run. I help kids learn to love animals, learn about rodeo and horses and the different responsibilities of being involved in that life style. A person can learn more in working and caring for animals than they ever will surrounding themselves with

Autobiographical Essay hundreds of strangers. Through my love of teaching and my love of animals I have been lucky enough to be involved in many great life changing moments. My extracurricular activities and my service to the community will help me become an educator that tries to meet students personal needs so that they can succeed in and out of the classroom. Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in doing something that would

make me feel like I was making a difference in someones life. When I first graduated from high school I thought I wanted to be a radiology tech. As I started into the program, I decided that my passion was not in that profession. Every time I stopped to think about what I wanted to be when I grew up all my teachers and rodeo family and coaches popped into my head. I knew that they were responsible for helping me become the person that I was. My aunt quickly came to mind. She was my sixth grade math teacher. I fell in love with math my sixth grade year. I moved in with this same aunt and her husband my freshman year of high school after my mother passed away. I was able to go into her class with her and spend a lot of time seeing the behind the scenes of teaching. I got to witness the great times and the bad times that she had with her students. Her influence in my life changed my perspective in school dramatically. Next my second mother came to mind. She became a teacher late in life. She got married when she was 19 and then started a family. She went back to school when she 27 and became a teacher. She teaches fifth grade and makes such an influence in her students lives. Many of her students want interact with her out of the school setting. They love her like their mother. No matter where we go she always has students running up to here wanting a hug. She has provided a sanctuary for them to go to. Children who do not have the most ideal home

Autobiographical Essay situations use my mothers classroom as a second home where they feel safe and loved. It has been amazing to watch the students grow and interact with her as they have gone through her class. After that, I thought about my rodeo family and the future family that I hope to have

when I get a little older. I have learned so many lessons through rodeo and cannot imagine giving it up completely. I dont want to give up my rodeo family that I have gained, and I want my future children to experience the same atmosphere as I did growing up. I dont know of a better profession than teaching where I can give back to the community and still be a part of the sport I love and have the same schedule as my future children. All of these events made me decide that I could make an impact on childrens lives as a teacher. As an educator, I can make work as fun or as boring as I want. I have control over how I make impact on others and how my impact will influence the world. Professional Goals My short term goal is to finish my Associates Degree at CSI in the fall of 2013. This will require me to take between eighteen and twenty credits in the fall. It wont be easy, but I know that I can do it. Then I plan on transferring to Idaho State University but stay on the College of Southern Idahos campus to earn my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. I will have to be focused and disciplined but I want to be part of educations future so I am determined to succeed. As for a long term goal, I would like to obtain a teaching position in the Twin Falls area which could include anywhere from Twin Falls City to the Northern Nevada Border. I would like to stay close to my family if possible. If there are not any openings in the area I will go

Autobiographical Essay

where I can acquire a job with hopes of someday returning to this area. If I have any say I would prefer to work in a smaller school district where the classroom sizes are smaller. I feel that teachers are more effective when student to teacher ratios are smaller. No matter what school district I end up in, I will be the best educator that I can be. Although I havent always wanted to be an elementary teacher, the journey has been fruitful as I have learned and gained much experience through education, work, and extracurricular activities. These experiences in my life will truly benefit me when I acquire my own classroom. I believe that Education is the most rewarding and fulfilling career out there. I want to make a difference in childrens lives. I would like to follow in the footsteps of all the great teachers that have influenced me through the years.