Entrance Essay

Since I am already a week and a half into my program I am really behind on updating the blog.  I want to skip the beginning of the blog and go straight into the media posts.  However, I feel like there should be some sort of official start.  So, here it is, a copy and paste of my application essay:


I was blessed to have a phenomenal high school French teacher. When I arrived at the University I was able to skip 2.5 years of college-level French. I entered classes on Magrhebin and Quebecois cultures with a vocabulary repertoire my classmates were lacking. In my phonetics class I had already memorized most of the poems. Experiencing great teaching has made me want to be a great teacher, but I believe that my desire to teach is motivated by my natural tendency to teach.

My first teaching experience started when I was leading a Bible study in 11th grade. I was an active high school student, but I was looking for something more fulfilling than the normal high school experience. I talked to a few of my mom’s friends and recruited a small group of 6th grade girls. I would gather them once a week with a prepared Bible study and corresponding art project. When the girls entered 7th grade I made the transition with them into Confirmation. When my confirmation group was confirmed 3 years later, it was double the size of any other confirmation group and I was at least 10 years younger than the other leaders. I have spent over 240 hours leading Bible study with the same group of girls. My former sixth-graders are now seniors in high school who excel in academics and extra curricular activities; we still meet for Bible study once a week before school.

This last year has been absolutely delightful because I spend my days in a kindergarten classroom with special education children. My primary role is to assist a non-verbal student with cerebral palsy. I work with the child on basic kindergarten subjects, such as reading and counting, as well as speech, physical ability, social interaction, and bathroom training. His progress in the last few months has been astounding. The child didn’t know shapes or letters when he entered kindergarten; today he read a book to me and counted to 5 orally!

Teaching ballet has reinforced my decision to become a French teacher because I love ballet about as much as I love French and francophone cultures. I am by far the least experienced ballet teacher at the studio, but I have a passion for teaching ballet that fuels my lessons. I find dense books on Vaganova theory intriguing and I share what I’ve read with my students. I take ballet classes from a variety of studios and bring the diverse teaching methods into my classroom. I watch hours of ballet films for new combinations my students might like to learn.

Part of the compensation for my work at the elementary school and in the ballet studio is the overwhelming support I’ve received from both communities. Staff and parents at Lily Lake have trusted me and valued my opinions. Ballet parents have expressed gratitude and I’ve received a lot of support and encouragement from the directors and board members of the studio. My biggest supporter has been my dad, who has been encouraging me to become a teacher since I was young.

Since I made the decision to become a French teacher I have felt confident and excited about the future. I know that teaching is what I was made for. I know this because I naturally find myself in teaching positions; I know this because my students are successful; I know this because my community supports my decision. I know I’m made to be a teacher because I love to learn. I will always be seeking out new experiences in francophone cultures and my students will be able to share in those experiences vicariously through me.