1. Statement of Background and Goals
I have spent the last thirteen years living and teaching in Taiwan. My wife and I
have been operating a private English school for most of those years. The
experience of managing and teaching have been both challenging and rewarding.
However, my thoughts have become focused on returning to the United States for
the main reason of giving my two sons, Jonathan (10) and Jeremy (7), the
opportunity to experience life in America. As for myself, I hope to restart a career as
a high school social studies teacher, which I had left prior to moving to Taiwan.
Certainly, I have a few doubts about my teaching skills and knowledge, which I think
I need to improve in order to be successful. I don’t think it’s too late for me to
return. I have never forgotten why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place: to
share my enthusiasm for life and learning and to be able to inspire my students to
have a similar attitude.
I realize that I can’t come back and just step into a classroom without being
prepared to teach in the 21st
Century. I believe I’ve missed out on a tremendous
amount of knowledge about teaching, which I need to make up and learn. This is
why I’m applying to the Ed.M in General Education at Buffalo.
It is one of my dreams to return to the classroom to teach a subject I am passionate
about. I’m an avid follower of world history and politics. My views come from a
perspective greatly influenced by my psychology background - examining and trying
to understand why people do what they do.
I’ve built up a lot of life experience since I first began teaching, which has made me
more confident and mature. At the same time, I also think there remains a youthful
spirit within me, which allows me to still be able to connect with younger people.
It’s the connections I hope to build that I hope will also rejuvenate my life and
career.