educational psychology Hilary Jones

1. Why are you here (in the teacher education program, in this class, at UVU)?
I am taking this course to help me in my future career as an educator. I enrolled at UVSC five years ago with the hopes of becoming a nurse. I soon realized that nursing was not the career path to choose. I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives in some way. I finished all of my pre requisites and the more educated I became the more I enjoyed the environment in which learning took place. I began to look into becoming a teacher three semesters ago. I took different courses at UVSC to help me decide what type of teacher I wanted to become. After I deliberated over what and where I would like to teach I finally chose to teach at a high school level teaching health. I enjoy all the aspects of health and how health has so many different areas to focus on. I chose this course to help me better understand my future students as I proceed to work towards my goal of becoming an educator.
2.What motivates you?
I am a very motivated person now that I am older, but as a youth the only thing that motivated me was my social group that I chose to run around with. I am motivated to become a teacher to be a better example to my children and hope to encourage students to not make the same mistakes that I made while I was a teenager. I am motivated to prove statistics wrong about how most teenage mothers not finish high school nor finish college before the age of thirty. 3.Why do you succeed?
I succeed because there is no other option for me. I choose success, because I choose to focus on the positive things in life rather than my failures as an individual. I succeed because of my children, husband, and family support. I succeed because I am not a victim nor a failure.
4.Why do you fail?
I only fail because I have not focused on the positive and I have chosen to fail. I do not tend to look at things in my life as failures, but rather bumps in the road from which I learn from. There is always something positive that comes from a failed attempt.
5.How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher?
I sometimes feel as though I am a follower. I do follow directions really well, but as a teacher I will be the one who gives the directions. I also feel I am more motivated to do things if there are certain deadlines to follow and due dates to meet goals. I feel what motivates me to be a great teacher is that I have been there as a student who hated the fact I had to attend school. I know how it feels to think that school is not where I want to be, but rather having fun with my friends. I can be a great teacher and encourage those students to not choose the mistakes that I chose as a young teenager. I know I can show those students that teachers really do care about their students, and if they are not there to attend my class. I hope to motivate myself in this course to learn as much information and techniques I can to help my future students.