This document is Mark Boatman's autobiographical essay for an education foundations course. It summarizes his educational and work background, and reasons for pursuing a career in teaching. He grew up in a family of educators and was influenced by many great teachers. After obtaining a degree in anthropology, he worked as an archaeologist for several years but wanted a career with more personal fulfillment and impact. He is passionate about empowering students and making a difference in their lives through teaching.

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Autobiographical Essay
Mark Boatman
Professor Carol Billing
Education 201: Foundations of Education
Fall 2011

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Introduction
A pivotal question in the pursuit of a career in teaching is, „why do you want to teach?‟
There are many reasons why I want to teach, but explaining previous personal experiences in my
life is a vital component.My background as a student and son to two parents within the education
system, gives me a somewhat unique view into the teaching profession. My mom was an
elementary school teacher of various grade levels for over three decades, and is now a Science
Curriculum Coordinator in southeastern Washington. Although I am obviously biased, I know
that she was a great teacher, which beyond previous students‟ accounts, was acknowledged by
President Barack Obama in 2009 as the recipient of Science Teacher of the Year for the state of
Washington. My dad was a high school government and physical education teacher, and is now
an Assistant Principal in the Kennewick School District in Washington State. This previous
background information doesn‟t directly relate to the question at hand, but I feel that it indirectly
relates in that even when I wasn‟t in the classroom, growing up I was able to get to know
hundreds of teachers at all levels, and the importance of an education was definitely always
stressed. My parents are definitely proud that I want to teach.
Despite always being surrounded by educators, pursuing the teaching path wasn‟t always
what I wanted to do. However, I have always been somewhat of an educator to friends, peers,
and coworkers. I guess it‟s in the blood. Without sounding to arrogant, I‟ve always enjoyed
imparting knowledge on others. It sound cliché, but is important to me to have a profession that
can have tangible positive influences on the community as a whole, or even one child. Basically,
I agree that teaching is more of a “vocation” than a “job”. The various intrinsic rewards

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associated with the teaching profession are very important. Camaraderie with fellow teachers,
seeing students learn and develop, and a love of working with kids, are all quite valuable to me.
There is no better way to benefit society than to teach, and I can‟t wait for the opportunity to
ensure success in the next generation of young students.
Educational Background
Both of my parents have been educators for their entire careers and have always stressed
the importance of receiving an education. They recognized the benefits of beginning schooling
at an early age, and did everything within their power to provide me with a stable learning
environment.
My formal schooling began inMt. Home, Idaho at Montessori Preschool. At that young
age, Pre-school provided a basis and foundation of learning for years to come. I attended
elementary school at three separate locations in two states. The first elementary school I attended
was East Elementary in Mt. Home. After my 1st grade year was concluded, our family moved to
Washington State because teaching there provided my parents with more adequate financial
support. I entered the 2nd grade at Cascade Elementary in Kennewick, WA. I didn‟t like the
teacher, as she was too much of an Authoritarian, and I didn‟t sense that she like her students
very much. I finished Elementary School at Southgate Elementary, where my mom was a
teacher. At this stage in my schooling, I began to thrive, and developed a love of learning. I had
great teachers, especially Mrs. Anderson who taught the 4th and 5th grade. She always provided a
challenging, yet fun classroom environment. An added bonus to attending school where my
mom taught was that she was always down the hall to provide guidance, inquiry, and much
needed parental support throughout the day.

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My Middle School years were spent at Horse Heaven Hills, where the daily structure was
quite different from the earlier years of my education. Having various teachers and subjects
throughout the day was a great way to see different approaches in instruction, and the ability to
develop close relationships with peers.
Kennewick High School is where I really developed a niche in the school environment.
My dad was the Assistant Principal of the school and guided me along the way. This also
allowed me to get to know my teachers well, both in and outside of the classroom. High School
provided various class options, both core subjects and electives, which allowed me to pursue
areas of interest with enthusiasm. I also partook in various extra-curricular activities, from
Leadership Counsel to Wrestling. Also in High School I enrolled in the International
Baccalaureate Program, part time, which involved advanced college preparation courses. I chose
not to do the IB Program full-time because I enjoyed the relationships I had built in my regular
classes, and wanted to have some continuity. This decision probably wasn‟t the most beneficial
in terms of educational challenges, but looking back I appreciate having both perspectives.
As you can imagine, living in a household of teachers, not attending a College or
University was not an option. I knew early on that I was destined for the University of Idaho. It
has a great campus, an inviting atmosphere, and I couldn‟t wait for the adventures that College
life would bring. Besides the challenging courses, I was an active leader within the University
on campus leadership counsels, and servingas the Interfraternity Council‟s Recruitment Chair.
At the University of Idaho, the content of my classes was not difficult for me to grasp, although,
going to class consistently….that‟s another story. However, as I matured and learned time
management skills, I began to do better. I graduated in 4 years with a Bachelors of Science
degree in Anthropology and a Minor in Political Science.

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School serves many different purposes, and each school I have attended has contributed
to my professional development. Obviously one of the purposes for schools is to promote
intellectual development, which leads directly to knowing content matter and information, in
relation to a specific field. The socialization process is all about educating the young, so they
can be functioning, well-rounded members of society. Intrinsic to teaching is striving to
understand the students to be effective in the classroom. Before you can understand the students,
you first must have an understanding of self. It was easy for me to get to know my teachers and
observe them because I was in the school environment more than the kids whose parents didn‟t
work at the school. I learned early on, from dinner table discussions with my parents that each
student learns at a different level of understanding. I will apply this pedagogical content
knowledge when I teach to be as effective as possible. A general observation I made throughout
my education is that it seems like Elementary schools focus on how information is being taught,
versus High Schools that seem to focus on content, or what‟s being taught. I believe that
focusing on how information is being conveyed is just as, if not more, important than simply
spitting out facts and content.
As stated above, I currently have an Undergraduate degree, and pursued a career in
Archaeology, the years following graduation. After working as an Archaeologist for 3 years, I
decided what I really wanted to do was teach. Pursuing a 2nd degree is challenging, but I am a
believer in doing what makes you happy, and I believe teaching will provide that satisfaction.
Work History
Throughout my life I have held many different jobs that run the gamete of experiences,
and even dove into a career as an Archaeologist for several years. Although some job

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experiences I‟ve had have been more worthwhile and fruitful than others, all of my job history
has played a vital role in my development as a professional and human being.
The first job I had was as a paperboy for the Tri-City Herald, which was a great job to
have when I was young because I was able to finish before school even started. It taught me at a
young age that to work sometimes you must make sacrifices, such as getting up before all of
your peers, as I certainly had to do with that job. When I was in high school, I worked at a
clothing store, called Zumiez, which allowed me to make a little bit of spending money, and
partake in the skateboarding culture in which I was already invested. Throughout college I held
a few other clothing retail jobs for various companies, such as American Eagle and Hollister.
These jobs were not ideal, but as a college student struggling to financially contribute in any way
possible, I realized that sometimes any job is better than no job.
Throughout my college career at the University of Idaho I did not work during the school
year because I wanted to focus on academic achievement. After obtaining a degree in
Anthropology, I moved to the Treasure Valley, where I began the search for a career in
Archaeology. Unfortunately because of the economic recession, no Cultural Resource firms
were hiring in Idaho, and so I moved to Salt Lake City to work for SWCA Environmental
Consultants with my brother and sister-in-law as an Archaeologist. After a year in Utah, I finally
found work in Boise as an Archaeologist for the Bureau of Land Management. In both of the
above jobs I had to travel to various areas, and perform cultural survey (hiking), analyze and
record cultural sites, translate findings to site forms, photograph various items, take GPS
positions on sites and artifacts, and catalogue findings. There were also various office
responsibilities such as site form entry, database management, artifact curation, etc. I also got
the opportunity to prove myself as a crew chief for two years with the BLM, managing a field

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crew of 5 people. My career as an Archaeologist was both physically challenging and
intellectually stimulating, but I felt like it was generally unfulfilling.
All of these past work experiences are beneficial to my pursuit as an educator. A lesson I
took away from having a paper route was that time is money, not to sound too cliché. In order to
succeed and make money I had to get up earlier than most people, which was hard on some days,
but it in order to keep the job and ensure everyone on my block got a paper, it had to be done.
The clothing store jobs taught me that I couldn‟t fail as a student, and needed to pursue a higher
education because I couldn‟t imagine barely scraping by working that kind of job for the rest of
my life. Those jobs enhanced my view of the importance of education. My professional career
as an Archaeologist taught me many things. I learned that being able to work as a collective unit,
maintaining personal responsibility, while being able to conduct the group to accomplish a
common goal. Other skills that are applicable to a career in teaching that I took away from my
previous career, is that being organized cuts down on stress when trying to attain a goal.
Successful teachers have told me that a well-ordered, organized classroom and lesson, allow
more time to focus on effective instruction and other responsibilities.
Service and Extracurricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities have always played an important role in my life. I believe
there is a direct link between active participation in the community and living a successful life,
both when in school and beyond.
In high school I was involved in wrestling and natural helpers. The sport I favored most
was wrestling because although it was a one-on-one sport where the effort I put in directly
related to a positive or negative result, the team goal was still of utmost importance. I learned

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that individual effort and hard work strengthened the unity and achievement of the entire team.
This is similar to what a teacher experiences, in that when in a cooperative environment where
teachers work in collaboration rather than competition, the educational goals of the entire school
are more attainable, which ultimately fosters a better environment for student learning
Throughout my college career at the University of Idaho I was involved in many different
extra-curricular activities, both related to school and the community. While attending U of I, I
became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity and held various leadership positions,
where I was involved in strengthening the community, the fraternity, and those around me.
Some of these positions included social chair, philanthropy chair, and Vice President. As Vice
President I worked as a liaison between my fraternity and other fraternal organizations. As
philanthropy chair one of my duties was encouraging involvement in our charity events as well
as others across the University. One charity event that our fraternity brought to the community
was Relay for Life. Another extra-curricular activity that I was very enthusiastic about was the
role of Recruitment Chair for the Interfraternity Council at the University of Idaho. I served two
years in that role, and my responsibilities included managing freshmen fraternal recruitment for
the Greek system. In this role I was able to take a leadership position among my peers. An
important part of the IFC position was interacting with not only future and fellow students, but
with University officials and parents. I learned quickly that I had to wear many “hats” and work
in conjunction with many different groups of people.
As a new teacher, I will probably be called upon to participate in some sort of activity
outside of the normal school hours, such as a family-night, or school concert, or sporting event.
These sorts of extra-curricular activities should not be thought of as a burden and outside of
teacher duties, but rather as an opportunity to interact with students, or parents, and show support

9. ABE 9
for the school. It is important that teachers stay active in the community and be willing to
contribute his/her time, money, and efforts to the nearby community. An effective teacher is
able to balance professional duties with active participation in the community.
Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career
A career in teaching has always been appealing to me. Ever since I was young I‟ve been
passionate about helping others learn. The great teachers that I had in school really believed in
me, and were essential in guiding me to work hard and strive for success. I want to be that kind
of teacher, instilling high expectations and a sense of purpose in all of my future students. I want
to make a difference, I want to empower someone to learn and think about something in a new
light. It sounds cliché, but children are going to be leaders of the future, and what better way to
be directly involved in helping to make a better future for everyone than being a successful
educator. I believe that with equal opportunity and access to learning, every student has the
potential to do great things, and I want to empower every child with the tools they need to be
successful.
An appealing aspect of teaching is that I think the students will keep me young. Working
with the young, interacting with them, and watching them grow and develop into successful
human beings is at the heart of why I want to teach. Also, adolescents can be rather funny. The
various personalities of students that teachers encounter can provide for amusing situations.
Teachers wear many hats, and students often need them to be more than an instructor, but often
times a counselor, a cheerleader, or a role model; and often times the teacher becomes the
student. Although I may pursue teaching a particular subject, and my knowledge of that subject
may be great, teaching forces you to be a lifelong learner. Students often ask intriguing

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questions and may present their own insights, which will cause me to have to dig deeper and
expand my knowledge.
Another aspect I like about teaching is that every year, every day, every lesson, every
student is different from the next. You could teach a lesson with different groups of students or
at different times during the day, and the outcomes and involvement in the lesson will be
different. I like the concept of being able to control your own class, not in the sense of being in
a powerful position, but in the sense of being a facilitator of discussion, content, and learning.
That sense of classroom autonomy is an appealing aspect to a career in teaching, which is unlike
most professions. Unfortunately I think sometimes teachers get bombarded with pressures and
get wrapped up in test scores and grading papers, and lose sight of the original reason of why
they entered the teaching profession, and the excitement of making a difference in a young
person‟s life is lost.
I always knew that one day I would pursue a career in teaching; it was just a matter of
when. My parents have had fulfilling careers as educators, both as teachers and administrators,
and I wanted a career that made me genuinely happy. Throughout my years at the University of
Idaho I first pursued a degree in Geology, then Political Science, and finally Anthropology.
With my Bachelors of Science degree in Anthropology I worked as an Archaeologist for about
four years. For a while this was a satisfying career, where I got to spend a lot of time traveling,
hiking outdoors, and experiencing ancient history first-hand. But there was something missing
in that career. I wanted to make a positive impact on others, and I had always felt a calling
towards teaching. I know that teaching will be a challenging career, with unique frustrations, but
the intrinsic rewards and joy of the job are second to none.

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Professional Goals
An aspect of teaching that I feel is vital is to approach the job with a willingness to adapt
and grow as a professional. The day that I get the opportunity to enter the profession will be
great, but I realize that the struggle doesn‟t stop there. It is my duty as an educator to be a
student in the field, pursuing further training and educational opportunities myself. The world of
education is ever evolving, with new theories and various applications of teaching practices
always being presented. To be an effective teacher is to be fluid and dynamic, considering and
utilizing the various theories and beneficial practices that will aid in the goal of preparing my
students to be successful in any endeavor they pursue later in life.
My immediate goals after entering the teaching profession are not as specific as some of
my other goals, but will encompass what I want to accomplish throughout my career. I hope to
hit the ground running as a new teacher, promoting an academically engaged learning
environment, with critical thinking, a desire to participate, and shared knowledge as the
cornerstones of my classroom. It may sound cliché, but I simply want to instill knowledge and a
desire to learn in every student that I teach, so that they will develop into smart, highly
functioning members of society.
Many changes have occurred in my life in the past year. I gave up a career as an
Archaeologist to pursue my true calling in life, teaching. In a last minute decision I decided to
apply to the College of Western Idaho to see what the college had to offer as a step in the process
of attaining a second Bachelor‟s or possible Master‟s degree in Education. Having a degree from
the University of Idaho, with my core requirements completed, my focus has been solely on
education courses. After I finish up with the required education courses at CWI in the spring, I

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plan on transferring to a four-year institution within the state. I am still weighing my options,
but will most likely attend either Boise State University or pursue my degree from the University
of Idaho, taking classes remotely. The plans I have laid will help me accomplish my short-term
goal of becoming highly qualified in each of the core academic subjects I want to teach, and
having full state certification. Until recently I was unsure of whether I wanted to teach at the
Elementary of Secondary level, but I‟ve tentatively decided that teaching Middle School would
provide its own exciting challenges and opportunities. I have always had a passion for history
and government, and would love to share that passion with Middle School age students.
Although these students are not yet voters, I feel that it is important to pass on a love for country,
to show them that past events and people help guide and shape future ones, and that they will
become the future leaders of our country. I believe that with proper training and furthering my
education, I can become a highly marketable and effective teacher, with many job opportunities
at my disposal. I hope to work at a school that is supportive, collaborative, welcoming, provides
adequate and equal resources to all students and teachers, and allows for some sense of
autonomy within the classroom environment.
It is important as a teacher to not only focus on the immediate or short-term, but to reflect
on long-term goals. As a person with natural leadership ability and experience, I tend to seek out
leadership roles. Once I become an experienced teacher I would strive to become a department
head. Department Chairs often are designed and perceived as instructional leaders within their
department, developing and influencing curriculum and the direction or focus of the department.
Department Chairs also supervise and evaluate instruction, have regular contact with the
administration, and act as intermediaries between the teachers and administration. The next
avenue of education I might pursue is to become an Administrator. I believe that great

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Administrators are leaders among teaching and learning at their prospective schools. They have
clear comprehension of academic goals, how and if those goals are being achieved, how to meet
challenges head-on, and are generally invested in both the teachers and students‟ livelihoods. I
believe that I have the skills in planning and oversight needed to become an effective
administrator, and overall have a keen interest in the success of my teachers and students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that reflecting on my unique life experiences will contribute to
my development of becoming an effective teacher.There are many aspects of teaching that are
appealing, but to me making a difference in the lives of others is, above all, what calls me to this
vocation. I hope to be an effective teacher that prepares the youth for success in adulthood;
equipped with all the tools they need to be educated, pro-social members of society. I have
always been drawn to education and look forward to a career where I can impart knowledge and
model good citizenship.