My School Experience

A disclaimer: This is another reflective assignment for my Professional Seminar meeting this fall at IU South Bend. It should be a fun read on some of my memories of attending school.



I attended Central Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle, and Valparaiso High Schools, all of which are public schools located in Valparaiso, Indiana. I also attended Christoph Probst Gymnasium in Gilching, Germany as an exchange student following high school.(Probst was a member of die Weisse Rose, an anti-Nazi resistance group from Munich that distributed leaflets against Nazism during World War II. He was executed for his actions.) All of these schools would be considered large, suburban, public institutions. My graduating class at Valpo had about 500 graduates, with the total high school population being about 2,000.

The overarching memory I have from my middle and secondary school years is the amount of involvement and achievement that was expected. I was "encouraged" to run cross country in 6th grade and, as much as I hated it, it began for me a life long record of being involved. From there I played basketball, ran track, got involved with student government, made friends, and really felt comfortable as part of a school community. Looking back, my parents nudging me into cross country started me on a great path to success in school. I was engaged, encouraged by others, and taught the value of striving for success(even if I finished last in a race).

I remember my teachers being caring, passionate members of the community. Having a grandfather, father, aunt, and 2 uncles teaching in the local schools, I had a very unique relationship with a lot of my teachers. Many of them were family friends and colleagues.

School continually got better for me as I got older. My favorite school year was definitely 12th grade. I had established myself in many activities, had a great group of friends, and it seemed like our entire class really got along well. Our class definitely felt like we worked well together and had a stronger bond than most classes. Some of my favorite teachers were Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Kleist, Frau Bowman, Herr Rhinehart, Ms. Beil(Corneil), Mrs. Yelton, and Mr. Cicioria. These teachers span subjects I love as well as despise, so that tells you something about their ability as a teacher.

If I had to choose a time to forget, it would probably be 7th or 8th grade. I had some fantastic teachers during that time, but life as a middle-schooler can be tough. There were some traumatic moments. For example, I missed only 5 days of school throughout middle school. Those 5 days however, immediately preceded the biggest dance of the year. Although I attended school the day of the dance, my mom made me stay home that night! I had just missed the biggest opportunity of my life to nab the girl of my dreams.

I don't recall feeling a lot of peer pressure growing up and that is probably directly related to the amount of parental pressure I did feel! My family knew everybody in town. If I screwed up, everyone would know about it. There was a name and reputation to live up to and, even to this day, I strive to live up to my proud name.

Overall, I had a fantastic school experience. I was well supported both at school and at home. I tried all kinds of activities and was able to discover some that I loved. I had been instilled with a love of school and an appreciation for teachers. I had some great friends that I continue to be in touch with today.

Having said that, I also understand that my situation was not typical. There are many students that struggle with a myriad of issues everyday. It will be my job as a teacher to understand the diversity of circumstances, get to know my students, and show them that I care about their success!!