I’ve always enjoyed going to school; school supplies shopping was and still is my favourite type of shopping. I believe the reason I want to be a teacher is based on my experiences with all of my teachers through my schooling prior to university. Every teacher has a different style, and some were better than others. I remember a teacher I had for math in grade 11, and she didn’t teach math in a way that allowed very many in my class to be successful. That year I really learned what ways, and how I wanted to be different as a teacher one day. Every teacher has an impact on a child’s learning and schooling experience. Another teacher I had in grade 12, went above and beyond to ensure I had the grade I needed to get into university. He sat with me at lunch and went over my assignments and helped me understand my mistakes and things I could fix. He gave me extra time for certain assignments I struggled with and then spent time going over them with me to ensure I knew how to increase my grade next time. Both of these teachers play an important role in my learning and school experience, but they also play an impactful role on the teacher I strive to be.

The teachers I had in high schools shaped the reasons behind why I want to be at teacher. The different teaching styles I have encountered, and the investment I have seen and experienced in teachers, increases my excitement to be a teacher in the near future. These teachers have opened my eyes to my desire to be a teacher and make an impact in a child’s life, like my teacher in grade 12. He stands out the most when I think about the different teachers I’ve had and what kind of teacher I want to be. He was invested in ensuring I would get into university and that I understood my mistakes and how to successfully completely my assignments. There were several methods he used to help me and all of those lead into the reason I picked the topic I did for my research paper. The passion I have for this topic also is connected to my siblings who have disabilities and my desire to be able to help students who have disabilities who might be in my classroom in the future, to be successful. My sister has a modified education plan is very interesting to me, and how she is able to learn what she is capable of in her own ways. I find it interesting how there are different methods of achieve success when working with children with needs, and the dynamics of the classroom are also intriguing, as these children can’t always be in the classroom but they try to keep them in as much as possible. The balance between being in the classroom and working one on one with a special education teacher, or with students at their level, is individual to the child and their needs.

This story leads into my research paper and can also be tied to the topics we learning in class as well as the reading analyses I have included in this portfolio.