AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 1

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

FROM BANKER TO TEACHER

ANGELA CAIRNS

PROFESSOR BRAD HUNT

EDUC 201 FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

FALL 2017
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 2

Educational Background

When I think back to my childhood and my education, the first word that comes to my

mind is ‘chaos’. I attended a different school every year from the time I started kindergarten,

until I was a junior in high school. My family moved every year during my childhood, so my 7

siblings and I were forced to attend new schools every year, create new friendships, lose

friendships, and struggle with our grades. Born in Massachusetts I attended kindergarten there,

moved to California to attend 1st through 3rd grade, then back to Massachusetts for 4th through

10th grade, and finished out high school back in California. I took a few college classes after

graduating high school, but after I started working fulltime I stopped attending college. Ten years

later, I am now starting back this semester at earning my degree in elementary education. If I had

to explain any unique educational experience I have had, it would just be that I have experienced

all different types of people, schools, learning curves, etc. I have not been a part of a special

program or study, but I have experienced multiple different types of learning, including a year of

home-schooling one year from my mom. I believe that my education has contributed to my

development as a professional educator for the following reasons. I have a great sympathy for

children that are struggling in school for whatever reason it may be- social anxiety, learning

issues, problems at home, etc. I also have a passion for teaching anything I can. Whenever I am

knowledgeable on a subject I absolutely love to share that knowledge with whoever I can. I

100% cannot wait to be a teacher.

Work History Service and/or Extracurricular Activities

When I was 16 years old I couldn’t wait to get a job, so it didn’t matter what I did, as

long as I was making money. My first job was at Burger King; I was a cashier- taking orders,
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 3

cleaning, preparing food, and greeting customers. This is where I learned my first customer

service skills. My second job was about 9 months later as a cashier at Shopko. I had similar

responsibilities- cashiering, stocking store items, and assisting customers with finding products.

That job lasted about a year until I graduated high school and got a job as a teller at Bank of

America. There I spent the next 9 and a half years working first as a teller, then a personal

banker, and then a sales and service specialist. My teller role was where I spent most of my

career at Bank of America- assisting customers with transactions, referring bank products,

learning and implementing daily operations, submitting supply and cash orders, training new

tellers, and many more tasks I became incredibly efficient at. After 5 and a half years of telling I

decided it was time to branch off into personal banking. I found this role the most satisfying, I

could finally connect with people and their financial needs. As a banker I assisted customers with

opening accounts, completely maintenance on accounts, supervising tellers when needed, and

much more. After a year of being a personal banker I had my first child and was off work for

about six months. When I returned to work I decided to be a sales and service specialist- this job

was both tellering and personal banking. I was a true asset to the bank- a jack of all trades. This

was a tad overwhelming at times; I was running around the extremely busy branch doing

everything. I learned over the 9 and a half years at Bank of America more than I can ever even

explain- from customer service skills to everyday life skills. I was married (twice), divorced, had

a baby, moved several times, I grew up and experienced a large chunk of my life while working

here. In July of 2016 my husband at the time, daughter, and I decided to move to Meridian, Idaho

and my career with Bank of America came to an end. There aren’t any Bank of America’s in

Idaho, and the decision was very tough to leave, but I had bigger and better opportunities to

pursue. After moving here, I took 5 months off work to spend with my young daughter, then I
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 4

got a job at Bank of the Cascades (now First Interstate Bank). My job at this bank is similar to

the sales and service specialist position at Bank of America- I am both a personal banker and a

teller. First Interstate Bank calls my position a Relationship Banker. I have the same

responsibilities as I had at Bank of America. My work experience has contributed to my

development as a professional teacher because everything I have learned over the past 12 years

of working has shaped me into the person I am. Had I not experienced empathy for the hundreds

of difficult scenarios I’ve gone through in my banking career, I may not have developed the

skills it takes to be a patient and kind teacher. I am not currently, nor have I ever been involved

in any service or extracurricular activities, but when I become a teacher I plan to change that.

Although I have enjoyed my work experiences, I could not be happier to get out of banking and

into the career of my dreams.

Ethics Designation

Before starting back in college this semester it had been over ten years since my last

college course. My experience with educational ethical dilemmas is actually pretty slim. I myself

have never cheated on anything during my entire education (that I can remember). I have

however observed my peers doing so. Growing up I was always terrified of getting into trouble

because of how I was raised, so cheating was not an option or on my mind throughout my entire

childhood. Sure, there are times when assignments were overwhelming or seemed too difficult to

do myself, but I did it anyway. Watching some of my peers go through their education copying

off of others papers, or having their friends write papers for them was mind blowing to me. Since

I changed schools every year of my education, I always wanted to fit in and get along with

everybody, so I never tattled or got the cheaters in trouble- I didn’t think it was my responsibility

to do so.
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 5

Virtue Ethics is the ethical orientation I believe would play a huge role in solving the

dilemma of in classroom cheating. I believe that if Virtue Ethics was taught in classrooms, more

students would be prone to doing their own work and not copying off others. Sure, teachers use

threats and scolding to let students know that it’s not okay to cheat, but that doesn’t always

resonate with all students. “Virtue allows you to seek what is good in life and be able to do the

right thing, at the right time, and for the right reason.” If this were engraved into students’ minds

during early childhood education and in their home life, there would be less cheating. Aristotle

focused on the strength of character, but believed in a middle ground for character traits. An

example of this would be- if someone is deficient in their danger experience they may be

cowardice, if they have an excess of experience they may be foolhardiness, but the middle

ground would be to just have a good level of courage. It is hard to teach ethics and morals, but if

children had the right education on these matters, ethical dilemmas may not be so common.

Considerations for Choosing Education as a Career

I suppose the biggest reason I chose to be a teacher as my career is simple- the children.

Just being a part of the process of a child growing, changing, and learning every day is the

intrinsic reward I seek. I have always enjoyed watching how quickly a child can learn something

new. I have a four-year-old daughter that, at this stage, is quite the little sponge. It really is

fascinating watching her practice something she’s just learned, and say phrases I didn’t even

know that she knew how to use. Knowing that I can be even just a little part of a child’s life

makes me extremely excited to become a teacher. Another reason I will enjoy being a teacher is

the schedule. I enjoy being home with my daughter in the evenings, and I can’t imagine that

changing as she gets older. Being able to be with her after school is definitely a bonus.
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 6

Teaching has its downsides, don’t get me wrong. One reason I would not enjoy being a

teacher is the curriculum I may be given and forced to use. I always like to put my own spin on

things, so I hope that I am able to make it my own- in the sense that I can make it fun for the

kids. Another reason teaching isn’t the best career, is the pay scale. Fortunately, this isn’t a

concern of mine. Sure, I would love to make a healthy salary, but knowing that I am not going to

be making a great deal of money does not shy me away from a teaching career. The rewards of

becoming a teacher definitely outweigh the downsides.

I hold skills and qualities that would enable me to become a phenomenal teacher. Some

of these qualities and skills include friendliness, a great sense of humor, engaging, organizational

skills, great time management and something not everybody carries- and that’s a sense of

empathy. I had a really rough childhood and will be able to relate to many students’ situations or

issues. I have a really big heart, and know that some students need some guidance when they are

at school that they don’t get at home. It is a safe place for a lot of children and I am easy to

confide in. I do have qualities that may make it difficult for me to be a teacher. Those include my

struggle with listening and patience. I have ADD and can find it extremely difficult to listen to an

individual speak for a long period of time without getting distracted. I also struggle with having

patience for individuals that I think should know better. I mostly lack patience in disrespect and

outright stupidity. I do need to find ways to cope with my weaknesses before getting into the

classroom.

I do believe that I would be a good fit to be in the education field as more than just a

teacher. I have considered getting into counselling, administrative, and a few other avenues, but

tend to always end up extremely passionate about teaching second or third grade. I believe I

could be a great counsellor, but I may find it difficult to listen to students talk all day. I would
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 7

definitely be a huge asset to an administrative position. My organizational skills and strength in

numbers would put me right at the top. However, I may feel like I am missing something without

being able to watch and be a part of a child’s learning.

I have been in customer service for my entire working life, over 12 years, so my customer

service skills may place me in a career like retail management, guest services, food industry, etc.

I have also always been really great with numbers and am extremely accurate, so there are

definitely careers that I would be suited for that could use that skill. Some may include,

accounting, controller, and treasurer. I simply have no interest in any of those career pathways,

and will use those skills in my teaching career in one way or another. I will use my skills in

customer service to help me communicate with other teachers, parents, my superiors, and even

my students. I will use my skills with numbers in teaching for sure as well. No matter what skills

or weaknesses I carry, I will definitely put my all into every aspect of teaching. I am sure I will

encounter many struggles, but am looking forward to the journey.

Professional Goals
If you asked me ten years ago what my life goals were, they would be similar to what

they are today. Why it’s taken me so long to finally get on the right track to fulfill my goals and

dreams, all I can think of as an excuse is, life. When I was 18, I attended three college courses

in which I wasn’t taking very seriously. My grades were two C’s and a B. After one semester in

college I dropped out to focus on working fulltime. Up until this semester I hadn’t attended any

more college courses. I have always dreamed of becoming an elementary school teacher, and

am finally working towards that degree. I have both short term and long term goals I need to

accomplish in order to achieve my degree. I am going to be attending The College of Western

Idaho through the end of summer 2019, then transferring to Boise State University to finish

getting my bachelor’s degree. I intend to complete between 12-14 units each Spring and Fall
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 8

semester, and 5-6 units each summer in order to get my AA in Elementary Education by the

end of Summer 2019. After I receive my AA, I am going to continue with a full course load at

Boise State. During my entire college career I will be working fulltime in order to support

myself and my family financially. I am aware that I am taking on a large load of schoolwork on

top of my crazy life, but it will all be worth it once I receive my degree, and can start teaching!

I have such a passion for this career path, and will do anything and everything I can to achieve

my goals as quickly as possible.