Student Teaching Autobiography

ADRIANNA GERNES AUTOBIOGRAPHY
‘When one teaches, two learn.’

–Robert Heinlein
On December 18, 1998, I made my first appearance in this world, 9 pounds, 10 ounces. I
am the youngest of two daughters, and the youngest grandchild on my mom’s side. Being that I
am the youngest of my family, I always have been looking up to my elders throughout life. I
have always wanted to do everything my sister did, and looked up to some very influential
people throughout my schooling and life. I was born in Rochester and have spent my entire life
growing up there, which is also where I attended school.
Growing up, I have been blessed to be able to experience all that Minnesota has to
offer: wonderful schools, great people, beautiful lakes and rivers, and gorgeous scenery. One
can most likely find me hiking on the trails near my house, or hanging out on a boat on a river
or lake. Being around such wonderful things as I have, I have developed into an adventurous
person. This part of me has led me to the mountains of Colorado, Tennessee, and all the way to
the beaches of Florida. I have always wanted to explore the world outside our country’s limits
and I hope to be able to do that some day. I would really love to experience some of my
ancestral roots in Germany and Ireland.
After graduating from high school, I enrolled in liberal arts classes with an Elementary
Education focus, at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC). I graduated with an
Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Elementary Education in
May of 2018. While in college, I began working in childcare first at a childcare center in
Rochester, then I pursued becoming a lead teacher at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math (STEM) based preschool. It was there that I really found my connection with working with
children.
Growing up, I had always known I wanted to become a teacher, but I still feared the day
when I would have to decide what to do for the rest of my life. Even though I knew I wanted to
be a teacher, I did not know why for the longest time. It was my junior and senior year of high
school that I first realized my ‘why’. I discovered that my Spanish teacher in high school really
cared about how I was doing in school, and always wanted to set me up for success for my
future. He also would often ask me if I had ever thought about teaching, because he’d often
find me teaching new content to my peers in class. During my senior year, I became his
teacher’s assistant. My connection to him, and the world of teaching, became ever so
prominent. Within the last two months of school my teacher got into a bad accident, bike vs.
car. I decided to create a school-wide fundraiser for him. Going from classroom to classroom, I
brought the student body together to help him. Once he returned to school and received his
gift he approached me and said, “If you don’t apply to a teaching program, I will apply to one
for you. You have the heart and the mind to teach. Thank you.” It was then that I applied to the
Winona State University – Rochester (WSU-R) Elementary Education Program.
Before I entered the education program I had been the occasional babysitter. Once I
became more interested in children I applied to a child-care center. After working there for
about a year, and working with infants through 5th graders, I decided to apply to a preschool in
Rochester. Once I started working with children on more of an education basis I fell in love.
Seeing the light bulb come on even in the little preschoolers filled my heart and mind full and
ready for WSU-R’s elementary education program.
ADRIANNA GERNES AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Being accepted into the education program through WSU-R was one of my proudest
moments. I was, and still continue to be, so excited to finally be in school for something that I
actually care about. Being enrolled in WSU-R’s program has already given me so many
opportunities to work directly with children in the classroom. During my junior year at WSU-R, I
was able to perform over 180 hours of in-class experience with children. Those experiences
included working with children in kindergarten through sixth grade and covered a variety of
topics, from literacy to STEM principles. During my senior year, I was fortunate enough to work
in a fabulous first grade classroom at a small elementary school in Rochester. While I was there
I had plenty of opportunities to learn new things as a teacher. I got to experience what the first
six-weeks of school looked like as a teacher, what it felt like being in a close-connected
community between staff, and I thoroughly got to know my students and cooperating teacher. I
was taught from day one of this program that relationships are the most important thing a
teacher can do. It wasn’t until I was in the classroom and began conversing with my students
that that statement truly sunk in. The things they do, say, and learn remind me every day why I
chose this profession.
Like the quote that was used at the beginning of the autobiography, I believe that
teachers grow and learn just as much as the students they teach. Throughout my schooling,
jobs, and life, I have always looked for advice, and often asked for feedback on many things
from assignments and presentations to how I was doing at my job. As a teacher, I hope to
provide this same feedback for all of my students because I believe it is important to learn and
grow together from our mistakes. If we do not receive feedback from our first try, we can only
expect our next time to be the same or slightly better. If we do receive feedback, we can expect
our work to become much better the next time. I also hope to inspire my students to always
take constructive criticism and ask for feedback whenever possible. With this kind of trust
between the teacher and the students, I hope to create a welcoming, loving, and safe
environment for all of my students.

Student Teaching Autobiography

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Student Teaching Autobiography

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Student Teaching Autobiography

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ADRIANNA GERNES AUTOBIOGRAPHY

‘When one teaches, two learn.’

You might also like