Personal Statement
Model A:
Here is a literacy autobiography I wrote for a class I am taking in grad school right now.
Here is a literacy autobiography I wrote for a class I am taking in grad school right now.
Model B:
The following is a personal statement I wrote for my application to grad school.
The prompt:
Applicants must submit a well-considered statement of purpose in which they explain how their experience and training have prepared them for the English Education program, their goals in pursuing the MA in English Education, and plans for the future.
My Statement:
I believe that the best teachers are also constantly learning. We learn about our students and their families. We learn new curriculum and new texts to bring to our classroom. We learn how to work better with our colleagues and teammates. Besides the professional (and moral) imperative to be continually improving our craft, I think we teachers also have an obligation to remind ourselves every once in a while what it feels like to be a student, to be a novice at something, to allow ourselves to struggle, to feel confused, frustrated, or even a little scared. One truth I have learned over my last nine years as a high school English teacher is that I am a better teacher—more creative, more reflective, and more empathetic—when I am also a student myself.
After graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education in 2009, I started teaching high school English full time and have done so continuously for the past nine years. After my first two years in the classroom, I was accepted into the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction program through ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, which opened my mind to how a teacher can be a researcher and also a leader and also introduced me to a broader network of teachers and schools in Arizona. One of my classes was taught by Dr. Josephine Marsh, who introduced me to ASU Preparatory Academy and also the Central Arizona Writing Project. Through ASU Prep and CAWP, I have had an embarrassment of riches in learning and growth opportunities, both formal and informal, professional and personal. Working and learning within these two organizations has helped me to see myself not only as a teacher of reading and writing, but also as a writer myself and a person working toward equity and justice inside and outside of my classroom.
I am eager for the learning opportunities I would have as a student in the Master of Arts in English Education program because I know it’s time for me to be a student again, with all the joy, struggle, self-reflection, and potential for growth that being a student entails. While I’m not yet sure of the direction my career will take in the next ten years, a Master of Arts in English degree will open up opportunities for me in teaching and learning that I am both excited and a little intimidated by, in the best of ways. Besides my own growth, I want to bring what I learn and experience to my classroom, to share that knowledge with my students and my colleagues and to truly live out what I try to teach my students about the value of having a teachable attitude and a mind that is willing to learn and change.
The following is a personal statement I wrote for my application to grad school.
The prompt:
Applicants must submit a well-considered statement of purpose in which they explain how their experience and training have prepared them for the English Education program, their goals in pursuing the MA in English Education, and plans for the future.
My Statement:
I believe that the best teachers are also constantly learning. We learn about our students and their families. We learn new curriculum and new texts to bring to our classroom. We learn how to work better with our colleagues and teammates. Besides the professional (and moral) imperative to be continually improving our craft, I think we teachers also have an obligation to remind ourselves every once in a while what it feels like to be a student, to be a novice at something, to allow ourselves to struggle, to feel confused, frustrated, or even a little scared. One truth I have learned over my last nine years as a high school English teacher is that I am a better teacher—more creative, more reflective, and more empathetic—when I am also a student myself.
After graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education in 2009, I started teaching high school English full time and have done so continuously for the past nine years. After my first two years in the classroom, I was accepted into the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction program through ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, which opened my mind to how a teacher can be a researcher and also a leader and also introduced me to a broader network of teachers and schools in Arizona. One of my classes was taught by Dr. Josephine Marsh, who introduced me to ASU Preparatory Academy and also the Central Arizona Writing Project. Through ASU Prep and CAWP, I have had an embarrassment of riches in learning and growth opportunities, both formal and informal, professional and personal. Working and learning within these two organizations has helped me to see myself not only as a teacher of reading and writing, but also as a writer myself and a person working toward equity and justice inside and outside of my classroom.
I am eager for the learning opportunities I would have as a student in the Master of Arts in English Education program because I know it’s time for me to be a student again, with all the joy, struggle, self-reflection, and potential for growth that being a student entails. While I’m not yet sure of the direction my career will take in the next ten years, a Master of Arts in English degree will open up opportunities for me in teaching and learning that I am both excited and a little intimidated by, in the best of ways. Besides my own growth, I want to bring what I learn and experience to my classroom, to share that knowledge with my students and my colleagues and to truly live out what I try to teach my students about the value of having a teachable attitude and a mind that is willing to learn and change.