Learning to Learn: My Educational Autobiography by Eric Schepper

When it comes down to it, my educational upbringing may be rather obvious and ordinary, but the more I think about it, the more thankful I am for what it was. Being a white, unathletic boy of mostly-German descent living in the suburbs of Fort Wayne, Indiana seemed like the most boring setup to me by the time I reached sixth grade. Through elementary school I didn't have too much of an idea of what the world outside of Southwest Allen County had in store for someone like me. Three factors of my personal academic experience that I believe are important enough to discuss are: My school system, my personality, and the teachers I had. The school system I belonged to is known as Southwest Allen County School (SACS). Compared to the rest of Fort Wayne, SACS is one of, if not the, most highly rated, (and funded), school systems. I'm sure this is due to the fact that the area it is based in, known as Aboite, is one of the nicest and most expensive parts of Fort Wayne. I lived in a subdivision called Shorewood. Shorewood is connected to a number of other suburbs, including Whispering Meadows which shares its name with the Elementary school I attended. Whispering Meadows (WMES) is actually a very nice place to go. It's not too big or small, they provide a decent balance of arts and science classes, and the teachers, at least all of the ones I had, are nice and seem to really enjoy teaching. I attended middle school at Woodside (WMS), and high school at Homestead (HHS). Both are known for being well-stocked in good teachers and faculty. Personality is the next aspect of my life. I suppose I would summarize my collective phases and stages of personality, from kindergarten to senior year, as eccentric. I've noticed that throughout my life my interest has jumped around within the humanities, (art, literature, etc.). The first humanity I can remember taking interest to was Art. My nana is a very successful and talented watercolor painter, so I looked up to her in that regard. In middle school I developed a love of literature, though I was a pretty slow reader. With high school came the most powerful peak in interest and passion I had experienced. A friend of mine introduced me to a lot of lesserknown bands and musicians, namely Animal Collective. Animal Collective is very expressive, very experimental neo-psychedelic band whose music imbued me with a newfound appreciation for artistic expression, Philosophy, and Love as a universal concept. This was probably the most pivotal moment of my life, and although it was also around the time of my angsty phase, I'm increasingly grateful for it. The teachers I have learned from is the last, and possibly the most relevant, topic of this lensed, yet brief autobiography. Contrary to most people's experience, I had a pretty equal balance of male and female teachers. My favorite teacher was Mr. Hill, whom I had for Etymology in junior year at HHS. Mr. Hill is generally laid back in demeanor, but has a very distinct passion for the humanities, especially Poetry and Music. We became good friends immediately after we discovered we both love Animal Collective, among other bands. Not only was he a great person, but his teaching skills are just as great.

All in all, my personal educational experiences have been mostly average, but that is not to say that I did not enjoy them. I realize now that I have moved to Indianapolis that I am lucky to have had a privileged upbringing, especially in an academic sense.

Educational Autobiography Rubric

Submit this score rubric with the Educational Autobiography Assignment.

Points are awarded based on thoroughness and attention to detail Possible Points Earned Points Cover/Title Page

INTASC Standard, Description and Rationale

Paper includes Subtitles and content for each section.

a.

Introduction/Background Information (3)

b.

Major Events (9)

c.

Conclusion (3) 15

APA Format 2

Subtitles 1

Mechanics 3

Total Points 25