I plan to become a history educator at the high school level following my graduation from college. I am not only passionate about helping others but also about history itself. History is a never ending subject and there is always more to learn. It is a critical subject In order to understand our world and who we are as a society. History focuses on knowledge of and preserving cultures and ways of life. In my opinion there is nothing cooler than seeing the process of evolution and nothing more important than understanding our backgrounds and where we come from. How do visual elements in the classroom help students comprehend and retain academic concepts? Using visual elements supports reducing cognitive load ( the amount of total mental effort and working memory resources used to complete a task or remembering something), directing attention, and strengthening overall engagement. Colors alone hold value through color theory, people associate colors with emotion, the color green is known to increase engagement and focus. With a proper layout and organization it can make it easier to comprehend and understand. When you layout the materially logically or in the best fitting way it increases the ability to follow along and process the information. Typography is important because print and font can emphasize certain materials if done correctly. Using bold text or headlines can help guide students to what they are looking at and taking in. Imagery is probably one of the most important parts of enhancing engagement. It increases the detail and provides deeper and more personal/relatable forms of materials. Imagery can also boost memory because you now have something relate and connect the learning material to. Why visual learning is critical in modern K-12 classrooms? As we see our world develop we see the more prominent technology has become in our everyday lives. From school, work, to our personal time at home we all use some form of screen or technology. All of these things include visual engagement. Above I listed why specific parts of visual elements are important but there is much more than just those things. Visual learning not only boost engagement, memory retention, and processing, but is 60,000 times faster than it would be for text. Traditional text learning also does not cover every student, some kids struggle and are more focused on visual learning. We have humans as a whole have short attention spans and as we progress they get shorter, this is especially true for young children. Getting students engaged makes it easier to teach them important lessons. Adding visuals can deepen their understanding and help them get a clear picture on exactly what they are learning. Kids also feel more motivated and want to participate in classrooms where visual aid is incorporated, such as videos or images. It also supports critical thinking, kids will have to interpret the visual media and why it connects to the material they are learning. Those are some of the reasons why visual learning and aspects are important in classrooms especially now. Thank you for your consideration.

I feel as though The Green Mile has impacted me more than any other movie has. For context the description of the movie is Paul Edgecomb, the head guard of death row, just wants life for him. However, when John Coffee, man convicted of killing a pair of twins arrives, things get strange. Beyond his simple, nature and fear of the dark, Coffey seems to possess a supernatural gift. Paul begins to question whether Coffey was truly guilty of murder. I have always watched movies with my parents growing up writing and screen work was very important and influential to me. There have always been movies that have stuck out for me but this movie has stood out the most. The pure and raw emotion the film has is almost like no other, I still get teary eyed thinking about the movie. The movie highlights themes of human cruelty, injustice, prejudice, and the power of empathy. We see John Coffee a man who has been convicted of the murder of two girls sentenced to death, we see his last moments on death row. Before John is put to his death we see who he is as a character and his gentle nature. It doesn't make sense for a man as gentle as he is to be a murderer. Paul notices his gentleness and his fear of the dark and begins to second guess his guilt, however we see a different side of this in another guard. Percy Wetmore is a young guard in the movie who is the stories supporting antagonist. He believes that John is guilty and without a doubt deserves the death penalty, he treats John cruelly throughout the movie. He even goes as far to kill a mouse that John had befriended. How ever John uses his supernatural gift to bring the mouse back to life. Lastly we see our leading antagonist "Wild Bill," he is the true killer of the twin girls and framed John. He knew John would try to use his powers to save the girls after he murdered them and he knew the parents would find John with the girls. Wild Bill not only causes trouble for John but causes it for the whole block, he harasses the guards and other inmates. Though Paul tries to fight for John his efforts go unheard, John is put to death. He eventually says the quote"On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I gonna say?" which shows he knows John was not guilty. It was not a simple death how ever, Percy is the guard who is supposed to wet the sponge before placing it on top of John's head. The importance of this is so that when the electricity goes through Johns body it is humane and doesn't burn him up. Percy bent down and pretended to wet the sponge and placed it on his head, they then go to cover his face but john refused and says he was scared of the dark and did not want to die that way. This movie made a lasting impact on how I few prejudice/cruelty people face and the importance of empathy. It is important to remember just because someone is labeled a certain way it does not make it true, and no matter what we should always show empathy and kindness over cruelty and that's how you will make the biggest impact over peoples lives. Even if it feels against our nature. Thank you for your consideration.

There are many things and people that influenced my choice to become a teacher. Some of the people include my brother, students I have helped tutor, and teachers. My brother is about 8 years younger than I am and he has special needs and is non verbal. When he was diagnosed there was a huge shift in my life and I quickly had to adjust and learn to be a role model and support system. From a young age I helped in trying to get my brother to hit certain learning goals and targets, in helping him I found a passion for teaching and helping others. I knew that whatever path I was gonna take in life it had to be one where I was making a difference. Especially for kids like my brother who need the extra support and help in their life. Not only did my brother influence me but so did my teachers. Over the course of the last twelve to thirteen years I have met many influential teachers. Most of the time the hard work and dedication they have often goes unnoticed. Teachers are not only people who teach us a curriculum they teach us life lessons and are often there when no one else is. They shape us into the people that we become and help us prepare and navigate our future. If I could make even half the difference that my teachers have I would truly feel successful. Lastly one last meaningful experience in life that has shaped who I am is God. Like many others I have faced bumps in the roads or problems that at the time felt impossible to overcome. A few years ago I found the true meaning behind my faith and the Lord. I learned that through him anything was possible and I would never be alone when I have the Lord by my side. My faith has gotten me through much uncertainty, when life felt too big to conquer, and when financial hardships felt like drowning the Lord was there to guide me through and remind me there is always silver lining and a purpose for something. I hope that in furthering my education to get my bachelors I will find my purpose and get to help others find theirs. I hope to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way, I am blessed to know that life is too short not to make a lasting impact or change and I would not know that or be who I am today. Thank you for your consideration.

Furthering my education and getting a college degree has been one of my dreams for the longest time. I understand the value that education holds. With a degree I could look at better jobs and more opportunities for a more stable future. I hope to set an influence for my future kids and family, I hope to assist them if/when they further their education. For me a college degree is not only something that will assist me in opening doors for careers but also a symbol. A degree would be a symbol of my hard work, trials, and successes. Education is super important to me, especially as a future educator. College offers so much opportunity for so many different fields, a chance to broaden your knowledge and become more skilled. One of my passions is helping people and being there. I believe that becoming a teacher can provide just that. I have even started building teaching skills and grabbing onto opportunities as they come by. Bcluw offers time for students who want to pursue education to go student tutor at the elementary school. I took advantage of this opportunity this year and worked with second grade my first semester and am currently working with third grade during my second semester. Working with these students was truly a blessing, getting to know each of them individually and finding what form of teaching works best for each kid was very eye opening. As my time progresses with each student it is nice to see the progress they are making in school. I feel there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your efforts work. I truly believe there is always more to learn and I value education and knowledge so much, especially when it comes to history. History is another one of my passions, there's always something new to learn and there is so much depth to everything that circulates around history. I have an opportunity to combine two of my passions into one job. It would be a life where going to work would not just be another chore, task, or an “I have to.” It could be an opportunity and an “I get to.” I know that there will be challenges along the way but every career and life decision has its challenges, what would life be without challenges? There is so much opportunity and benefits to teaching as well. I can always decide to further my education and become a post secondary teacher. The summers being open are also a nice touch, since I one day will want to have a family. Being able to spend time with my family and having the same schedule my future kids would is very important to me. Thank you for your consideration.

I want to be a high school history teacher and will be attending Iowa State University this fall to start that dream.There are many things and people that influenced this choice. Some of the people include my brother, students I have helped tutor, and teachers. My brother is about 8 years younger than I am and he has special needs and is non verbal. When he was diagnosed there was a huge shift in my life and I quickly had to adjust and learn to be a role model and support system. From a young age I helped in trying to get my brother to hit certain learning goals and targets, in helping him I found a passion for teaching and helping others. Bcluw offers time for students who want to pursue education to go student tutor at the elementary school. I took advantage of this opportunity this year and worked with second grade my first semester and am currently working with third grade during my second semester. Working with these students was truly a blessing, getting to know each of them individually and finding what form of teaching works best for each kid was very eye opening. As my time progresses with each student it is nice to see the progress they are making in school. I feel there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your efforts work. I have had many different teachers over the course of my time in school and I am truly thankful for every single one of them. I truly believe that teachers help shape us and who we become, having a good teacher can make a world of a difference. Teachers not only are there to teach us their curriculum but they are also mentors, there is so much support and work that goes unseen. Many teachers I have had have always been willing to lend a helping hand and give advice about the future and college. Some students do not have strong support systems and strong role models at home or outside of school, sometimes the only way they can get that kind of support and encouragement is through teachers. They answer so many more questions than the ones students have about homework. I want to be able to make a difference in someone's life and education as a teacher some day. I want to be able to help someone build a passion for education and learning the same way others have for me. I truly believe there is always more to learn and I value education and knowledge so much, especially when it comes to history. History is another one of my passions, there's always something new to learn and there is so much depth to everything that circulates around history. I have an opportunity to combine two of my passions into one job. It would be a life where going to work would not just be another chore, task, or an “I have to.” It could be an opportunity and an “I get to.” I know that there will be challenges along the way but every career and life decision has its challenges, what would life be without challenges? There is so much opportunity and benefits to teaching as well. I can always decide to further my education and become a post secondary teacher. The summers being open are also a nice touch, since I one day will want to have a family. Being able to spend time with my family and having the same schedule my future kids would is very important to me. Thank you for your consideration.

Throughout life we all face hardships, the world offers no shortage of bumps in the roads or unexpected chaos. Growing up I have faced a few challenges, one of the biggest ones was bullying and financial hardship. My parents did not have the best lives growing up and they both knew they wanted to make a different reality for their kids. They worked as hard as they could but it was not always easy, we live in a household of five and my youngest sibling, my brother was diagnosed with a learning disability and autism and has been non verbal for most of his life. A lot of our money has gone towards bettering him and his future. Meaning we have not always had money just in order to pay for things such as schooling/housing. This can be scary when looking into my future, I am passionate about furthering my education but it can feel impossible with the expenses of school. From a young age I had been bullied, as I got older it faded in and out until I hit 6th-7th grade. This was the peak of the challenge for me, going to school felt pointless and almost impossible. It was hard to wake up and go to a place that brought hardship on the daily, my grades started slipping and I got quiet. I felt lost and broken and my future looked like a fogged up blur. One day I woke up and knew that I needed to change my everyday, to make my reality better. I believe somewhere along the way we forget that what people say about us doesn't matter, and just because they are saying one thing does not make it true. We are tasked with making our own reality, and a name for ourselves. I could have given in to the bullies and what they were saying about me. Instead I realized the solution to my problem was proving them wrong by simply being me. Being me means wanting to help others and make a difference. Though what I had faced felt so difficult especially as a younger child I would not want it any other way. My experience has taught me a lot, it taught me the value of people and their emotions. I learned that the important thing we should focus on is not popularity or how many friends we have but the impact that we leave behind. How we make others feel and whether or not we reach out a helping hand to others when they need it is what is important. When I become an educator I hope to be not just a teacher but an influential part of my students lives. I understand it will not always be easy for students or even for myself as a teacher, but the most rewarding part is seeing the impact we leave on students. I am currently a student tutor for 3rd graders, and last semester I worked with 2nd graders. Those kids have been the highlight of my senior year. Working with them everyday has felt like a blessing, seeing their progress in real time has been such a good feeling. I hold those kids so close in my heart and I truly cannot wait to become an educator one day. I hope to make an impact and inspire others to use their voices and their abilities. Those are some hardships I have faced and why I want to become a teacher, I thank you deeply for your consideration.