Cultural Autobiography
I was
born in Taiwan in 1972. Taiwanese is my first
language. After I went to elementary school, I studied Chinese. I
started to learn English in junior high school. I went to a
girlsˇ¦ senior high school, which was the best high school for girls
in my hometown. Then I took the exam and became a student in
National Chenchi University majoring in Education and got a
four-year education commitment scholarship. Through the school years
I had, I met many good teachers.
I
decided to be a teacher when I was in elementary school. When I
thought of a career I would do in the future, I always wanted to be
a teacher. It seems to be very natural to me. I liked to
study and enjoyed learning. I also got good grades at school. I
liked the teachers and classmates. The school was a great place to
be. My first and second grade teacher was nice and we liked
her to teach my younger brother and sisters as well.
The most significant change in my learning was to
ask questions. I started to ask my 3rd or 4th
grade science teacher questions in and then it became very
important and helpful in my study. When I asked questions, I also
created a different atmosphere in class and a deeper relationship
with my teachers. I also learned more from what I asked and that was
the most joyful thing. I am thankful for the teachers, who were
patient and spent extra time helping me understand. They
were dedicated to teaching. I respect them and wish to be like them.
I met different styles of teachers and everyone
was unique. They taught and helped me grow in different ways. Even
the strictest teachers also help me to have good discipline and
reach the highest academic achievement I could do at that time.
Without their push, love and encouragement, I might not have the
accomplishment.
My high school teachers released the tension I
had in junior high. My first year class teacher taught arts, and she
inspired us by developing our appreciation of arts and
thinking. My second and third grade teacher taught Chinese and gave
me a lot of freedom in writing, which I was encouraged to be
creative. I remembered the songs of the poems she taught in class.
She set us free but let me have more responsibility for myself
and learn to be more mature. My math teacher usually put two or
three difficult questions and we had to think very carefully and
tried to solve the problems. I liked the way he taught and that
helped think.
When I attended National ChengChi University, I
majored in education. The professors and schoolmates in the
department of education had a sense of belonging and helped each
other to grow as good teachers. There was a professor who recognized
me and called my name when I visited the school after quitting it
for years. She invited me to the professor lounge and talked to me.
She encouraged me to go back to school and teach. I was really
touched and would never forget that moment we met.
As I come to De Anza College, I meet more good
teachers. From each class and instructor, I learn a lot. I would
like to thank those who especially encourage me. They may not know
how a special moment and a few words mean a lot to me. In the
education class, I really would like to give special thanks to Ms.
Cordero. I see what a great teacher is and how she influences her
students, future teachers, and their students. Her enthusiasm for
teaching and learning really touch me. I would like to see my future
as a teacher like what she shows to me. I will keep on learning.
Why I want to be a teacher? I think, for all the
teachers I had, I feel really thankful for their love,
teaching, and encouragement. For the courses I took in the past
or I am taking, I feel itˇ¦s very natural for me to learn and study.
The most important thing is I love children. I had spent more
than six years teaching children. I love all of them and enjoyed the
time we were together. I learned with them, I learned from them, and
I am learning to give them better!
