Personal Statement: Individual Differences In The Classroom

I struggled in elementary and secondary school and by the time I got to high school, I thought I just wasn’t smart. I left my high school of 150 graduates and went to Texas Tech armed with a lack of confidence. I found myself on scholastic probation for two semesters and my third semester was a disaster. I got married, had two children and decided I was going back to college determined to be successful. It was during those years, I discovered I didn’t receive or retain information the way it was presented in school. I had never heard about different learning styles and throughout my years in school the lessons were presented the same way they had been presented for generations. When I returned to college, things had not changed. I started …show more content…
I have always been very sensitive to the feelings of others no matter what their circumstance or where they come from. Everyone wants to feel a part of their environment and to be respected for their unique gifts and talents. Each student has individual differences and experiences which can have a negative or positive effect on their learning experience. I believe that in a safe environment with an enthusiastic teacher who establishes relevance in the content to be mastered the student will be motivated to succeed. I respect each student and I have never had a student that did not have something positive to bring to the classroom and learning process. I believe success is measured in many ways. All students need praise and this praise is also unique to the individual and where he/she is in the learning …show more content…
I also consider myself a problem solver and creative thinker. I enjoy logical reasoning and improving and simplifying a process to achieve a goal. As a teacher, I particularly enjoyed the computer technology workshops and professional development classes. This enabled me to take complex material and present it in a simple format that was easy for students to understand and to demonstrate competency in the skill being taught. An example of this is the interactive computer based job preparation lessons that I created. The program enabled students to demonstrate competency in accurately completing an employment application, executing a cover and thank you letter, and developing a resume and interview skills that produced results. This program was used across four disciplines, at Venture High School which is the alternative high school for Arlington ISD. Throughout my years of teaching I have been able to take advantage of hundreds of hours of professional development classes and workshops to enhance my strengths and to learn new