Since I was a young girl, my desire to learn has always consumed me.

Throughout my childhood I collected plants, insects, and rocks, and would

use reference books to identify them. One reason I hope to teach science is
because it is such a broad field that requires continual learning due to
scientists discovering new facts about our natural world every day. In high
school, I did not have the best experience with my science teachers. My
teachers lectures generally consisted of reading straight from the textbook. I
can only recollect one instance that I participated in an experimental activity
that involved hands on learning regarding the pH levels of different chemical
solutions. Due to this experiment, to this day I can still identify those
chemical solutions as acids or bases. It is important to keep students
engaged by asking more questions and designing experiments that require
critical thinking and allow students to better understand key concepts versus
only memorizing facts. Engineers, doctors, and scientists cannot be
successful simply by having the ability to regurgitate a bunch of facts. These
individuals are only able to heal the sick or find the solution to a problem by
possessing the critical thinking skills required to ask the right questions and
to design experiments.
Overall, throughout my education I experienced some very dedicated
and caring teachers. A teacher should be more than someone who is
knowledgeable about subject matter. A teacher should be someone who
students should feel comfortable expressing any personal matters, which
may affect their needs to be successful academically. When I was a
sophomore in high school my parents got divorced. Despite my emotional
struggles due to the stress related to dealing with parental divorce, my
history teacher refused to let my grades lower. Not only was she continually
offering support regarding both academic and personal matters, but she also
refused to let me use my parents divorce as an excuse to not do my best.
This particular teacher gave me no choice but to be my best, ultimately
resulting in many of my achievements such as graduating as my class
salutatorian and being the first student from Benton School District to be the
recipient of a national scholarship. This is one reason why I believe it is

important to hold high expectations for students. If we have high

expectations for our students, then they will be forced to work harder.
Holding low standards for students could imply that we do not believe they
possess the traits to be high achieving individuals. I will also create a positive
learning environment in my classroom, which will allow my students to feel
comfortable, secure, and engaged. I believe focusing on the positive aspects
of learning will lead to more students actively participating in class.
Additionally, it is important to implement various teaching methods to
support different learning styles. This will ensure that all students are being
educated.
I have always been very passionate about science. Since my first
semester at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, I was involved in the
Universitys Biology Club. Although I was never sure what I could do within
the science field post-graduation, shortly after enrollment I declared my
major Biology. At the beginning of my senior year, I was asked to tutor a
freshman high school student. After our first tutoring session, I was glowing
and at that moment I knew I wanted to teach science. I had always gotten
the most happiness from helping others, even when I was just boxing canned
goods at St. Stephens Food Bank. Knowing that your hard work can make
even the smallest difference in someone elses life is an honor. To be able to
help others gain a better understanding of a subject I love everyday is my
greatest desire.
As a Biology scholar and prospective teacher, I have always loved to
watch things grow. From bacteria in a petri dish to students in the
classroom, it is clear to me that developing organisms are molded into
specific adult beings based on their surrounding environment. I want to be a
teacher so I have the ability to provide the proper surrounding environment
for students to have no option but to be molded into successful adult beings.
In the words of the late Jim Rohn, If someone is headed down the wrong
road, they dont need motivation to speed them up. Instead, they need
education to turn them around.