Running Head: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay
Student Riley Veal
Professor Carol Billing
EDUC 201-003W Foundations of Education
Fall 2015

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Autobiographical Essay

I have come to realize that I want to teach. My life experiences, my gifts, and my purpose
have all steered me toward this area of work. Now, I look for ways to improve my ability. It has
been a long road, but here are the things that have led me to this point.
Educational Background
I have a unique schooling experience. My mom taught me kindergarten at home in
English but I also attended a Brazilian kindergarten in Portuguese. I attended two different
Brazilian schools from first through fourth grade with a semester in a South Dakota public
school in third grade. I attended an English-speaking boarding school in Brazil called
Puraquequara from fifth through eighth grade except for a semester of home school in South
Dakota in seventh grade. My first two years of high school I was homeschooled through an
online school called NorthStar Academy, and for my last two I attended Puraquequara again,
graduating from there in 2012. That fall I started attending New Tribes Bible Institute in
Wisconsin, graduating in 2014. Since August of that year, I have been pursuing an Associates
degree in Secondary Education here at CWI.
My diverse experiences have given me both training and a broad understanding of the
educational process. I have been both homeschooled and formally schooled, secularly and
religiously trained, and educated here and abroad. Each of my teachers had, whether they knew it
or not, lessons to teach me about the art of teaching; they all had their strengths and weaknesses
that I was sure to remember. In every setting in which I was the teacher, I had to learn what
worked and what did not work in the classroom. All of this accumulated experience has prepared
me to teach.
Work History

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In my seventh, eighth, and twelfth grade years I participated in a janitorial program at my

school. I swept, took out the garbage, dusted, arranged desks, mopped, and kept the whiteboards
and blackboards clean. I did all these things twice a week. This experience has taught me how to
keep a classroom maintained.
I worked for a year a Jimmy Johns. I made sandwiches, cleaned the store, and manned
the cashier and phones. This experience taught me how to work with co-workers and customers
with a variety of backgrounds, many not sharing my beliefs and outlook on life. It also taught me
how to respect the chain of command, even if I disagreed with or considered my superiors unfair,
something that is very important as a teacher under the authority of principals, superintendents
and school boards.
I worked for a tree service for six months. While there, I trimmed trees, chipped, cut and
stacked wood, and drove a small dump truck. I learned to not always expect commands but to
take the initiative and look for opportunities to finish the job. I learned to not just do a task the
same way every time, but to be constantly considering better and more efficient ways of
accomplishing it.
Service & Extra-Curricular Activities
I have had practice educating others. In eighth grade, I taught the Bible and Portuguese
literacy once a week. For my junior and senior years of high school, I taught the Bible again
once-weekly, in addition to teaching a third and fourth grade Bible class five days a week during
my senior year. For the last three years I have taught early middle school Sunday school classes.
In the summer of 2013, I taught as a counselor at a Bible camp. This last summer I taught at fiveday clubs for kids throughout the Treasure Valley.

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I was Student Body President my senior year of high school and Resident Assistant for a
room of four guys my last year of Bible school. These positions of leadership taught me to the
value of taking the initiative in a team and of listening to those you wish to lead. As Student
Body President, I also had several opportunities to speak publicly and to learn from some
significant failures.
I participated in sports my last two years of high school. I received the Varsity Futsal
Most Improved Award twice. This was due not to any natural talent I had, but to a commitment
to hard work and practice. I received the Varsity Soccer Sportsmanship Award because I
recognized that sportsmanship is more important than winning. Participating on sports teams has
taught me the tremendous value of teamwork; a team member must work for the teams success
and not his individual success. An average team will beat an exceptional individual every time.
As a teacher I want to always remember that the faculty and I are on the same team. I must help
them and allow them to help me.
Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career
I first considered education as a career after I got over my desire to be a missionary bush
pilot like my dad. Dad was always the coolest guy around (still is) and I liked flying and helping
people so I figured that that was the career for me. Eventually I realized that I didnt like the
mechanical and logistic side of the job and quickly decided against following that career route.
Then, I started to think about what I really enjoyed. Things like reading, writing, History, and
Geography jumped to mind. I wanted to do something with them.
As I matured, my reasons for considering teaching as a career expanded. I realized that I
didnt only enjoy the subjects themselves but that I enjoyed explaining and talking about them
too. I also came to see the tremendous importance teachers have in individuals lives and in

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society. I saw the good and the evil that teachers could do. Some teachers werent very helpful
and made me bitter. Other teachers inspired my interest and imagination by presenting material
in creative ways.
I have considered other careers like writing and counseling, but I figured that I could do
both of these things as a teacher. I have also considered becoming a church-planter, and I might
still have a part to play in that area. I really want to use teaching in many different settings and
am open to whatever God has planned.
The rewards that I anticipate are many. I look forward to having school breaks and
holidays off from work. I also look forward to interacting with many different cultures.
Especially rewarding will be the chance to influence my students for their goodto be an
integral part of their lives. Also, Im going to love working with the subjects that I enjoy so much
and being able to read and write a lot.
Professional Goals
My long-term goals are working overseas in a multi-ethnic environment, to always
improve my teaching, to always strive to use teaching to impact lives for good, and to be
involved in the Church, teaching. In the short-term, I plan on finishing my Bachelors degree in
Secondary Education and spending two years teaching overseas with MAF as an associate.
I want to keep a learning attitude. Theres always more to learn. I do not want to become
complacent in my knowledge but to constantly strive for greater excellence. I will put this into
practice by continuing, when I can, to attend classes in subjects I teach. I will also keep working
at my lesson plans each time I use them, incorporating new material and new methods.
I will look for opportunities in the particular areas in which I wish to work. If
opportunities show up in the Church, in multi-ethnic settings, or even in any kind of teaching

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backgrounds, I want to take as many as I can without becoming overly busy. Tutoring and
substitute teaching are options.
In thinking about using teaching to impact lives for good, I want to perpetually ask
myself as I prepare lessons: how do I apply these things to my students lives? I will pray for
each of my students. I will work to understand each of them better and better, making it clear to
them that I care about them as peoplethat I want what is best for them.
I am excited for the road ahead. It has been a long road to get to where I am today, but
now I look to the future. Opportunities will come. I will be doing something I love and
something worthwhile.