Cassie MacDonald

Professor Woodward
Education 275
11 October 2012
So My Journey Begins
Since I was in 7
th
grade Ive wanted to become a teacher, but my family always swayed
me away from becoming a teacher and told me to do something with my life so that I would
never have to worry about finances. I came to college with a purpose; to get a job and make
money. Halfway through my freshman year I had an epiphany and realized that if I followed the
path I was currently on, I would be unhappy for the rest of my life. So my journey begins, and
this course is the first step to my ultimate goal in life, to make a difference in others lives just as
some teachers have made a difference in my life. I have received so many privileges that I know
of and take advantage of, it disgusts me that some students dont realize what they have or when
they dont take advantage of their situation. Some of the privileges I received were the access to
some amazing instructors and educators; Mrs. Harrison gave me the confidence to believe in
myself, and Mrs. Oschenbein pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Oschenbein were very different teachers who stood out to me the
most in high school. Mrs. Harrison is a perennial and dialogical educator and was my teacher for
three years, in English Honors and Yearbook. I was placed in her English II Honors class after
being in the regular English I class. It was an extremely tough class for me and was entirely
based on Socratic seminars; I ended up barely getting a B. After going from a 100% in English I
and having the reputation of the smartest girl in the class, when I was moved into the Honors
room with students who would say things about the reading that I literally had no idea if they
were speaking English or not. After being in the class for some time, Mrs. Harrison realized I
had stopped participating with my peers and just sat silently as my grades began to decline. She
made me stay after class one day; we sat and just talked about life and school. I told her I was
dumber than all the other students in the class and she was appalled by my attitude. She told me
that I could interact with my peers just as much as they did, but that I would need to gain the
confidence in myself in order to do so. I may have to work harder, but I ended up doing what she
said and from it gained the confidence in myself and in my education to try harder in school.
Without Mrs. Harrison I would not be where I am now. After that English class, I joined
Yearbook, because I knew she was the advisor. After a few years in Yearbook, I ended up
becoming the Editor in Chief my senior year of high school; this led me to NYC where I
accepted awards for the Yearbook and also to becoming a teacher because I want to be a
yearbook advisor as well; if I am lucky enough to receive that opportunity. Mrs. Harrison also
attended Colorado State University, she made me want to come to CSU and earn a degree in
Education, just as she had done. Without Mrs. Harrison, I honestly believe I would have hated
high school and lost all passion for education. Then there was Mrs. Oschenbein whom I despised
while I was in her class.
Mrs. Oschenbein was my junior year Pre-Calculus teacher. Before her, I honestly never
actually learned math, I sat there, took in the information and threw it all up onto the final. Her
class began and I had a D half way through the semester. I have never cried so much about a
class in my entire life. Mrs. Oschenbein was a student-centered constructivist and we had to ask
questions or she would give us all a pop-quiz because we obviously knew the information so
well that we didnt need to ask questions. Right? Wrong. Once a week, a student had to answer
the students questions and Mrs. Oschenbein would sit in the back and help the student lead the
class through the steps of the problem. We then became the teacher and she believed that we
only knew the problems when we were able to teach it to our peers. Well math has and never will
be my forte. So half way through the semester my mother met with her and had to figure out
what needed to be done so I could pass the class with a C. I began to stay after school twice a
week with her and my parents even paid for me to get tutored two hours a week for math. After
all of that misery, I still only earned a C. The next year I went on to Calc A. I received straight
As for that year, because of the preparation given to me by Mrs. Oschenbein. Also, because I
worked so hard during her class, I gained her respect. As a senior I would see her in the halls, she
would approach me and tell me that if I ever needed anything she was always there, math related
or not! I have not talked to her since high school, but she pushed me out of my comfort zone and
taught me that if I worked hard on something, good things will eventually come from that. Its
funny looking back at my favorite classes and teachers in high school. My favorite teachers were
the ones who pushed me and encouraged me to be a better person and student; not the teachers
who gave me 100 percent for showing up. I hope to one day be that teacher who pushes their
students to learn the material, while learning to become a hardworking morally right individual.
My educational and socio-economic background has definitely been privileged. I am a
white female, from an upper middle class family. I have no learning disabilities, Im straight, I
speak English and I am not affiliated with any religion; before this class I thought that these
variables did not matter and that I was just normal but now I realize that every aspect of my life
has affected my education. I grew up in Aurora, CO and attended Aurora Public Schooling until
fourth grade. After third grade, my parents wanted to move to New York. We ended up not
moving back home, but instead moved into the Douglas County School District in Parker, CO.
Right off the bat, I saw a difference in the education I was receiving. I went from learning
multiplication and the beginning of cursive, to walking into a class where students were
beginning algebra and long division and already knew cursive. My mom during winter break had
to teach me the material so that I could catch up with my new peers. I also went from a very
diverse community to a 90% Caucasian community. The students seemed more judge mental and
materialistic to be completely honest. I was the weird girl who wore sweats and played soccer
with all the boys. Growing up in a mostly white community was in my opinion a bad thing.
When I was within the more diverse school, we did not base our friends off of the color of their
skin, but off of our similar interests. At the more white school, racism seemed to be more
prevalent. I grew up in a bad part of Aurora and it seemed as if the elementary school oppressed
the students much more. We would have to stand in lines every day without talking, after recess
and look straight forward the entire time so that we would learn to obey the rules. When I
attended the less diverse elementary school, kids ran wild and we seemed to have more freedom
then the last school I had attended; I do not know if it is because of the curriculum or the
surrounding areas, but it is something that stuck out to me. I attended the rest of schooling in
Parker and went to great public schools that were usually above most Colorado schools when it
came down to testing. I am thankful for my opportunities and I realize that I am more privileged
then most of the population. It saddens me that most students who attended the same schools
growing up do not realize their privilege. So going from these two different schools, I realized
that funding and socio-economic statuses of the surrounding areas really do affect schools. Its
just the ugly truth.
Coming from a very sheltered, loving environment, I want to help those less fortunate
than myself. I want to learn about other peoples backgrounds and teach other individuals that we
should all accept others differences and learn from them. I have always been kind of blind
towards race; but looking back on my education and my less privileged friends experiences I
have realized that every variable of your life does affect your education. I know how to do a
calculus problem, or how to write up a lab, where some people may have no idea what that even
is. This class, so far has taught me that there is not just the normal student that I think of.
According to the Huerta reading I need to learn to be culturally sensitive and to put myself into
their shoes, something that will be a challenge for me, but something that I think I will learn to
do quite well. I want students to feel as if they can be open with their differences without being
bullied or judged. America is a diverse place, which is a beautiful challenge to have, but a
challenge within education. I cannot wait to become a teacher and to learn from others
differences, but it will be hard to do without singling a person out or making them feel as if they
are an outcast. Hopefully along the way I will learn to become culturally sensitive without
making students feel like outsiders.
Our differences should bring us together, to learn and experience new places and new
opinions; not to divide us. Education is the path that can lead us to a more accepting, educated
community and world. Without education and teachers, the world would fall apart. We are the
glue that holds the world together. As educators, if we do not have knowledge of our past, if we
dont work hard in our present and if we do not strive to reach our goals in becoming a more
accepting diverse culture; then how can we possibly hope for change in our educational system?
As future educators we must follow what Gandhi would say, that, we must be the change; we
wish to see in the world.