Running Head: A Little Different

A Little Different: A Critical Autobiography

Justine N. Bishop
Washington State University

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A LITTLE DIFFERENT: A CRITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A Little Different: A Critical Autobiography

Justine Bishop

Our backgrounds and the events in our lives help to mold the people that we are. As an
educator, I think it is important to reflect on my life and how my background may affect not only
the person that I am, but also the teacher that I am. At first, I was having a really hard time
thinking of my marker of difference. Most of the things that are different about me, are things
that I rarely tell my peers, and would never tell my students. But then, I realized that even if
these are things that I will rarely share, they still effect the person and the teacher that I am. I can
use these things to connect with students, to educate myself, or to educate my students. I am not
my background, nor my experiences, but they are an important part of me. I am Croatian, Dutch,
English and Native American. I am an atheist living in a catholic family. I am a human that
abhors labels. I am a survivor. But ultimately, I am me.
I am a part of a large, close knit, Catholic family. My grandmas parents immigrated here
from Jugoslavia (now Croatia), when they were in their 20s. We are very close to our extended
family and our Croatian heritage. My mom is the youngest of 8, and I am the 19th out of 22
grandchildren. Since most of my cousins are older than me, many of them are married and have
kids. We frequently get together for Sunday dinners, birthdays, and holidays. My favorite holiday
is Thanksgiving, where we move all of our living room furniture, and push three tables together
to accommodate everyone. It is always loud and slightly chaotic, with friendly banter and
conversations flying every direction. Sometimes we will cook some of my great- Grandmas
Croation recipes, and we frequently quiz my grandmothers memory of the Croation language.

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A LITTLE DIFFERENT: A CRITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY

There are currently about five of us that are trying to learn Croation, but it is hard to learn and
even harder to find resources for.
I like to joke that I am an atheist, living in a Catholic family, with Mormon friends. Its a
bit silly, but it is true, and very representative of my diverse home town. My family is so
religious that if I were to tell my grandma that I dont believe in God, she would immediately
add me to her prayer list. My friends are luckily a little more accepting. I grew up in a rural area
near Vancouver Washington. It was the type of place where you would have to walk a half mile
in the rain to get to the school bus, and where the textbooks were often older than I was. It is so
rural, that the High-Schools mascot is literally a potato. Growing up in this type of small town,
my friends and I are close, but very different. A large number of them are Mormon, and nearly all
are religious; yet somehow, we still get along. This type of closeness is one that you can only
find with people that share some similar experiences, yet know how to appreciate their
differences. This is the same as it is with my students- we may not share all of the same
experiences, but there is always something, no matter how small, that I can use to connect to
them.
My immediate family is much smaller than my extended family, but we are just as close.
I currently live with my mom, my little sister, our two cats and our two dogs. We enjoy spending
quality time together, and do many activities that we all enjoy. We go hiking, take our dogs to the
beach, go zip lining, skiing, and spend time together. My family means everything to me. My
mom especially is my hero. She is also a police office. It hurts my heart when people make
blanket negative comments about police officers, because my mom is the kindest, most caring
person that I know.

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A LITTLE DIFFERENT: A CRITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY

When I was 17 and my sister was 14, my mom kicked my father out of the house. Ron
had always been mean and angry. Later in my life I realized that much of his behavior was
considered abusive. By the time I was 17, his drinking was out of control. I would come home
for lunch to find him passed out on the kitchen floor. For the next three years he bounced in and
out of our lives. He would alternate between wanting to be really involved, to blaming us for all
of his problems. Even though he no longer lived with us, he still found ways to impact our lives.
By the time I was a junior in college, only my mom was in regular contact with him. We couldnt
have a healthy relationship with him, but we always believed that he would eventually change
his life around, and be able to be in our lives again. Unfortunately, on March 31st 2016, Ron
passed away.
Due to my slightly dysfunctional home life, I was always a shy, quiet, and anxious child.
I had a speech impediment, Auditory processing disorder, and struggled to make friends. By the
time I was in middle school I had developed anxiety and dysthymia (a form of depression).
Despite all of this, I loved school and thrived in the stable, safe environment. My teachers were
my superheroes. I hated to get into trouble at school, and on the few occasions that I did I would
just cry. Furthermore, I was a perfectionist. I would hate to mess up, even if it was just a simple
assignment.
Because of my childhood, it is especially important to me that my classroom is a safe,
supportive, warm, and happy place, where all students can do their best learning. I want to create
an environment where everyone know that making mistakes isnt a bad thing, but rather an
opportunity for learning. I want to encourage kids to ask questions, and to not get frustrated
when they are Wrong. I know this is hard for many kids, because it was hard for me as a kid.

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A LITTLE DIFFERENT: A CRITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Somedays its still hard for me! I remember being in Elementary School and sometimes copying
my friends work, because I was so worried about looking stupid or messing up. Some kids still
feel this way, but by creating a school environment where they know that mistakes are good, and
we need mistakes to learn, I will hopefully be able to alleviate some of this stress for my students
and help them to be the best learners that they can be.
Even today, I am still quiet, shy, and very introspective. Some people say that only
extroverts can be good teachers, but I disagree. I am not the type of teacher that overly dominates
conversations. I listen to my students, and have no problem with wait time. I prefer to wait a
little while longer, and hear a students ideas, rather than assuming they dont know and jumping
in. This is actually great for my students because it gives them a chance to try, and they know
that I wont just give in and tell them the answers.
Since I often struggled at home and at school, I get kids that have these same struggles.
I understand that different kids have different quirks and personalities, and this translates into
very different needs depending on the student. I tend to be very aware of when students need to
be pushed, and when students just need a break. I understand that everyone has bad days, and
sometimes its best just to pick your battles.
All of my experiences and markers of difference contribute to who I am as a person
and who I am as a teacher. I would not be the same person, nor the same type of educator if I
hadnt had the experiences that I did. Some of my life experiences have been difficult, but I can
use them to better myself and better help my students. I can relate to many different students and
I can appreciate their diverse experiences and challenges. Even though we may not share the

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A LITTLE DIFFERENT: A CRITICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY

same markers of difference, I can still find ways to connect to them, and at the very least, I can
always be a good, understanding listener.