Autobiographical Statement

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is intended to be an autobiographical statement regarding my background and desire to become an educator.

During my elementary years, I naively wanted to save the planet by becoming an environmentalist. Yet it was during those years that television shows such as The Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy were a big influence in my life. They taught me that science education could be fun and interesting. Those shows most likely laid the first foundations for my desire to become a teacher.

It was my junior high years that catalyzed my desire to become a teacher. My grade 8 science teacher, while strict during class time, was open and friendly during breaks. He quickly identified my interest in computers and often invited me to join him when he was cleaning or maintaining the computer lab. My fondest memory of him was during a phys. ed. class that he substituted. We were playing soccer in the fall and he would point out scientific phenomenon during our games. One such teaching moment was when he explained how the bouncing soccer ball created a small vacuum on the opposite side of its direction of movement, which created suction, drawing the dead grass off the ground as the ball bounced. His passion and love for science deeply affected me. His love for his work led me to pursue teaching as a career.

By high school, many of my volunteer activities involved teaching. As I gained experience working with youth and later teens, those experiences further confirmed my desire to teach. Witnessing shy and awkward immigrants develop long-lasting friendship and seeing girls more fascinated by science than the boys at camps revealed how much an inspirational authority figure can remarkably affect an individual’s life.

While my parents have strongly encouraged me to pursue higher status jobs, I cannot identify a higher calling than teaching the leaders of tomorrow. I recognize that postmodern students possess differing challenges than what I faced. In an era where information is readily available, instead of bestowing knowledge, I foresee teaching will emphasize evaluating it in light of society, technology and the environment. Yet this challenge, as well as the countless others that I will face, are not obstacles, but opportunities to develop my skills, strengths, and maturity as a teacher.

I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to develop my experience as an educator. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Michael Zhang

(You can download the pdf version here)


Mike Zhang