Pedagogical Autobiography

The instant I tell people what my major is, they all ask me the exact same question, "do you want to be an English teacher?" Eventually I started to ask myself the same question but I always knew that teaching was not for me. At the time I declared English as my major all I knew is that I absolutely loved it and I didn't go as far as thinking about what I wanted to do with it. I guess since I already had somewhat of a career with my current employer, I did not give it much thought. I know that that's a role that I would not be able to fulfill. I believe a takes a very patient and understanding person to be an excellent teacher (especially children in K-12). I remember thinking back to my school years and often feeling bad for the teacher because there was always one kid (or 3) giving her/him a hard time. I've always known that impatience is definitely one of my big short comings. I will say that now in my more mature years I have noticed that because I am older, I have more experience/knowledge than those that are much younger than I am—I find myself often in the role of a teacher. I do love the idea of being part of somebody's learning experience but I know that teaching has its challenges. I wholeheartedly admire and respect all teachers. I truly believe that teaching is not for everybody--it takes a really special kind of person.

I don’t just have one favorite type of literature. I'm an English Literature major-- I love literature!! Hmm.. I will say that one of my all-time favorite authors is Jane Austen. I love, love, love, Pride and Prejudice. I can't get enough of Austen’s work. Because I’m a hopeless romantic I often gravitate to literature about love/passion. I enjoy reading different genres of literature. Well, maybe with the exception of science fiction not so much. I guess I enjoy reading about real life emotions, experiences, and even controversy.