AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

1
Abstract

Teaching is one of the most important careers. The majority of the population goes to school.
Teachers have a huge responsibility of teaching curriculum that a person will keep forever. In my
life I have had amazing opportunities. I have had jobs that people dream about. I have gotten to
live in a state that has a completely different culture and I got to experience life from a whole
different perspective. I have participated in organizations, such as 4-H and FFA, where I have
gained responsibly and confidence. I have the chance to volunteer at a place that allows me to
see how to manage children and interact with them, just as a teacher would. Becoming a
professional educator was not my first career choice but I am very pleased with the direction I
am headed. All of the opportunities that I have experienced has opened doors and made me really
want to be a teacher. As a teacher I have the option to go anywhere, and I understand how
important quality teachers and education are to society and the population. Becoming a teacher is
exciting and the fact that I get to teach students and make learning enjoyable is a huge reward to
me.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

2
Autobiographical

This is a portfolio piece on Jacquelyn Newman. In this Autobiographical essay I will tell
about my educational background, work history, professional goals, and why I want to be a
teacher. I want to teach elementary education in a rural or ranching community.
Educational Background
My education experience started in preschool when my mom took me and my twin sister
to Butterflies and Bullfrogs in Kuna, Idaho. I then continued onto Hubbard Elementary where I
completed kindergarten and first grade. For the second and third grade I moved to Ross
Elementary. The fourth grade I went to Teed Elementary. The district changed the school lines so
I finished my fifth and sixth grade years back at Ross Elementary. I went to Kuna Middle
School, and completed my freshmen year at Kuna High School. My family moved to Bruneau
Idaho where I finished out my high school experience and graduated from Rimrock Jr. /Sr. High
School.
My education has contributed to me becoming an educator because I understand how
important schooling is. I understand that good teachers and good school districts are not always
easy to find. I started at a big school that had a decent education program with good teachers, and
many high standard classes, and then I moved to a small school where it was hard to get teachers
to even move out into the middle of the desert. Rimrock was far behind Kuna and classes that I
could have really used for college were not available to me.
I also understand what it is like to be a student and sit in a class and learn every day.
Granted everybody has a feel for what that is like, but if I can understand the needs of students
and keep in mind that I was once in their shoes also, I believe that it can make me a better

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

teacher, because I can grasp where they are struggling. Since my high school was behind I got to
experience some poor quality teachers. I had to learn from teachers who didnt want to be there
and couldnt teach the subject matter so everyone could understand. At Kuna the teachers were
quality educators. It really puts into perspective that teachers really do affect how you learn and
if you enjoy learning. It makes it easier for me to strive to be a good educator because I know
just how difficult it can be to learn from someone who is incompetent.
Work History
My first job was day working for Simplots ranches. When I graduated high school I was
fortunate enough to have people in my life that gave me the opportunity to move to Kentucky
and train thoroughbred race horse yearlings. When I first moved to Kentucky I had 2 weeks
before my contract started with Winstar Farm. So I worked the Keeneland September yearling
sale for Taylor Made Sales Agency. I then moved onto Winstar Farm and began training and
riding thoroughbred yearlings. When my contract was finished I moved home and got a job back
at Simplot calving first calf heifers, and then when that was over I went to work full time on
Simplots Battle Creek Ranch. I was in a professional work force all before I was 20 years old.
The most important thing that I my work has given me, is responsibility. Just the fact that
I moved away from my family and was on my own was an experience that I think is incredibly
important on young adults. It taught me how to be responsible for myself and have a job that was
in a very high rated industry. When I moved home to calve heifers, I was responsible at making
sure that brand new calves were ear tagged. I was responsible for heifers that were struggling to
calve, and had to bring them into the barn and pull the calf. If I would have neglected that
situation heifers and calves both could have died. During my time at Simplot I learned a lot about
responsibly and how to take care of other living things. My job also required me to gather cows

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

off the desert before they ran out of food and water. My work experiences have taught me how to
take care of myself, manage a lifestyle, and be responsible, which is all very important in the
classroom.
Service and/or Extracurricular Activities
My parents put me into 4-H as soon as they could. I showed animals, I learned how to
sew, how to make candy, and leatherwork. When I started high school I got involved with FFA,
and participated in horse judging. My team placed second at state. I played sports my last 3 years
of high school. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball. My senior year I was the manager for
the varsity girls basketball team. While juggling sports and FFA I also took a dual enrollment
class through College of Western Idaho and got college credit for English 101. When I started
college, I was required to take field experience class, which I volunteered at the Boys and Girls
club in Twin Falls.
4-H and FFA really contributed to my career choice because I gained confidence through
interacting with new people and public speaking. Which are both essential for teachers because I
will have to talk in front of students all day and interact with students, teachers, and parents.
Sports gave me the experience of having to juggle multiple situations at one time. Sometimes it
was very stressful situations that as a team we had to work through. The teaching staff is a team
and we will have to work together to create a successful learning environment. The Boys and
Girls Club has allowed me to interact with young students and gain their respect and teach them
certain learning materials.
Choosing Education as a Career

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

As kids my sister and I used to always play school. We would write out fake names on a
piece of paper and turn our bedrooms into a classroom and teach imaginary students. I have
always been one of those people that looks forward to the first day of school. I really enjoy
interacting with kids. I want to be able to teach them and have them learn from me and enjoy
learning. I think some of the best rewards are shaping the minds of the next generation. The
ability to teach and be around children all day is a reward in itself. The personalities and the
children that I can be around is really exciting to me. Also the job security for a teacher who has
reach tenure is an upside, along with the benefits that come with being a professional educator.
I never really considered education as a career until I graduated high school. I love the
ranching lifestyle and I was always going after a career around livestock and ranching. The
problem with the ranches that I want to work at and extremely tough for girls. The horses are
tough and the job is tough. I have met many women who lived on ranches and were teachers.
They could work with their husbands during the summers and still be able to raise children and
have a good lifestyle. As a teacher I have the ability to go anywhere because schools are
important in every community.
I decided to become a teacher because I never see myself leaving the ranching lifestyle. It
is all I have been taught and all I have done since I was a small child. Ranching and teaching go
very well together. The small ranching communities are usually always looking for teachers and
if I live to far from a school I can homeschool my own children. I also love going to classrooms
and interacting with the students in them. I came from such a small community that it was
exciting to go and see all the kids that I knew and it is just a really happy place for me to be, and
I know that I would love having my own classroom and students.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

I have had many careers that deal with livestock, so I always thought of careers that were
outdoor or had to deal with Agriculture. I really wanted to be a ranch manager but it is extremely
hard to be a lady and manage a cowboys, and try to raise a family. I thought of a wild life
biologist but soon lost interest because it turned out it was different than what I had thought it
was. A BLM fire fighter sounded appealing but the risks and hours didnt. Teaching allows me to
be around children and teach, which is what I enjoy, but I also have the chance to still live the
ranching lifestyle that I love.
Professional Goals
My short term goals are to figure out if teaching is what I truly desire. I want to figure out
if I will be able to manage a classroom full of students and be able to teach them what they need
to learn. I also plan on getting a minor degree in either General Ag, Ag Business, or Animal
Science. I plan on achieving my first short term goal by taking my field experience seriously and
observing the teachers and the way they handle the children. Since volunteering at the Boys and
Girls club I am able to see the staff interact and gain respect from the kids there. As my field
experience goes on the more and more I know I chose the correct career. I also want an Ag
degree so that my Ag background, and teaching degree will open up more job possibilities.
My long term goals are to have my teaching degree and an Ag degree and be teaching
third, fourth, fifth, or sixth grade. My Ag degree will be there so if another job that I am
passionate about appears I will have the education to take the opportunity. I plan on fulfilling
these goals by finishing out my associates degree at a community college to keep the costs low. I
plan on staying at the community college and taking University classes so it minimizes cost and
debt. I will work hard to strive to be my best to I can accomplish my goals and live a comfortable
happy life.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL

Conclusion
I want to become an elementary teacher in a rural or ranching community. I am very
passionate about ranching, and I also really enjoy interacting and being around kids. This is why
I really believe that I will make a good teacher. I have had jobs that taught me responsibly. I am
volunteering and setting myself up at places that will help me be a teacher later on down the
road. I am understanding how important teaching is on young childrens minds. By becoming a
professional educator I get the opportunity to shape the minds of future generations. Becoming a
teacher is exciting and I am very pleased with my career choice.