Meet Candyce

My Educational Autobiography

From the beginning, I have always loved school. I remember being about 5 years old and playing “school” with my cousins at my grandma’s house. I was always the teacher, and I would come up with hand-written worksheets that my cousins could work on. I had so much fun back then, and I always want to remember and reflect on that playful and inquisitive spirit throughout my entire professional teaching career. Although, I cannot attribute all of my inspiration to childhood games. There have been some very influential educators and aspects of school that have allowed me to come as far as I have today. Without mentioning them I would be doing a disservice, because all of these people and experiences are why I decided I wanted to teach in the first place. 

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The first real, meaningful educational experience I had was in the 1st grade at Adams Central Elementary School. The teachers of the first grade class had a collaborative learning plan in place, where each teacher focused on one specific culture or place in the world. For example, my teacher’s designated place was Australia. She taught us about the climate of Australia, age-appropriate facts about the government there, what day-to-day life is like, and the different cultures that are most prominent there. All of this was taught through fun, educational activities. The other teachers did the same with their classes, but with other areas such as Brazil, Egypt, and Mexico. After teaching their home classes about the different areas of the world, the teachers would have us swap classrooms twice a week for two weeks at a time. Then, another teacher would teach the new class about their designated area. After each class had visited all four classrooms, we had a Culture Day Party where we celebrated each culture by dressing up, eating snacks, and playing games that recalled our knowledge about each culture. This was an experience I will never forget, and I am inspired by the complexity and planning that this collaborative learning experience took. 

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Another very touching experience I had throughout school that contributed to my pursuance of my teaching degree came from a teacher I had in 2nd grade. My teacher gave her all in every single lesson; she made it enjoyable to a point where all the students in her class wanted to learn. Every year, students wanted to be assigned to her class the following school year because she made learning fun for everyone. She really helped me personally when I was going through some difficulties at home, and never made me feel bad about it. She helped me set goals to improve my schoolwork and my life, which was the stability I needed at the time. Experiences with educators like her are the reason why I chose to become a teacher in the first place. 

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A life changing experience I had with an educator happened when I was in 5th grade. At home, I was at a very low point and was struggling in school because of it. At the end of the year, I was in a situation where my teachers had found out why I had been struggling at home and my home dynamic was changing as I was having to move in with my dad after my mom lost guardianship of me. I was failing the 5th grade, which was extremely out of character for me as I had been a straight-A student before this. My teachers in 5th grade saw that I had much more potential than I exhibited and passed me on the basis that I was a good student but had difficult things happen to me. I will never forget those teachers, as they really gave me the chance that I may not have deserved. 

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Throughout high school, I had many educators who really made a difference with me. My senior English teacher and my high school principal were two who saw me for who I was capable of being, despite hardships I went through after moving out on my own a quarter into my senior year. I was falling behind because I now had to support myself, but they still stuck with me. They pushed me to reach my potential and I will always appreciate everything they did for me. If they had not given me those opportunities to improve myself, I most likely would not have graduated that year. While their help was one of the best experiences I had in high school, it was not the “for-sure” turning point for me. The absolute defining experience for me throughout my entire educational career was my experience of peer tutoring for the high school Life Skills class for students with mild-moderate exceptionalities. I felt like I truly found what I was meant to do when I was spending my days helping those students. It was as if my future goals were clear. I spent nearly three years as a peer tutor, and I loved every minute of it. While the students were my favorite part, the teachers were also very influential. They treated me not only as a student, but as a person. They talked to me about my future and were willing to answer any questions I had about going into that field. I will always carry the mark they left with me, as they helped me make my dream a reality. 

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All of these educators and experiences named helped shape me into the educator I am at today. They helped give me the confidence and drive to achieve my goals: professionally and in life. I will strive to be an educator like them; one that makes a real difference in the lives of their students because of how much knowledge, passion, and care they possess for their students.