Cortney Olson

Autobiography

"The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and

pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called

truth."--Dan Rather. This quote states my exact reason for wanting to become a teacher. This has

always been my plan, from playing school as a child to receiving my first job working with

children. I knew that I wanted to make a difference and the way I wanted to do this was to work

with children.

Small town Grand Meadow is where I have called home for the last twenty two years and

where I will continue to call home. I attended the public school all throughout my elementary,

middle, and high school years. When I was a child, my family spent a great deal of time together.

Whether it was camping, vacationing, or a family get together, I always came home with

countless amounts of memories. There is no wonder I have such a love for traveling and

spending a majority of my time outside. A several of my interests include biking, hiking, and

camping, especially with my family.

Attending a small school, I had several chances to start working with children at a young

age. When in high-school, I got the opportunity to do a program called YSL (Youth Service

Leadership) where I spent one class period in an elementary classroom working as the teacher’s

assistant. I had the opportunity to do this program both my junior and senior year in high-school.

Also, after I graduated high-school I received a job working for School Aged Child Care in the

Rochester Public Schools. Although this is not an academic program, I have had opportunities to

do STEM related projects, art projects, field trips, build relationships, and much more.
Cortney Olson

While in my clinicals this last year, I have had many opportunities to learn new things.

For example, I had opportunities to learn new behavior management techniques, such as Envoy.

Even though I am not trained, I still practiced the methods as my cooperating teacher did such as,

tone of voice, nonverbal techniques, and overall body language. I also had the opportunity to

work on my own confidence as a teacher. The more clinical hours I accomplished, the more

prepared I felt to become a teacher in my own classroom. After student teaching, I know that I

feel even more prepared and confident to become a teacher.

Becoming a teacher has been a goal of mine since my childhood. From playing school

with my friends, babysitting, and working with kids early on, I knew that I wanted to become a

teacher because I want to help these children become the best they can be. These opportunities

have given me the chance to develop educational beliefs to use when teaching. They include,

 Setting a tone in my classroom that ensures that all children feel safe and cared for

 Being consistent in order for the children to trust me

 Being understanding of all children and their unique qualities

 Making learning fun and exciting for all students

As I stated before, teaching has been a passion of mine since I was in elementary myself. As

my schooling has gone on, I feel more and more prepared each day. Student teaching will be

my last step to become fully prepared to become the best teacher I can be.