AUTOBIOGRAPHY

     I started my career as a teacher some years ago when I started teaching children in particular classes. Some day a friend told me about a child who needed reinforcement in the area of English. I had never taught or explained a child something until that day, and I realized that I needed more preparation. Then, some other mothers called me to reinforce their sons and I started teaching different students, of different ages and with different learning styles. From that moment, I started reflecting on my own personal and professional growth and asking myself, how could I be a better teacher?
     After some months teaching personalized classes, someone told me about a vacant for an English teacher in a school in the center of the city. That day I was excited. The coordinator told me that I had to approve a "classroom test". I remember that I felt really nervous because that was going to be my first class with a big group. There were about fifteen students between fifteen and twenty years old. When I got in the classroom I started sweating and sometimes I stuttered. I introduced myself and applied with them a diagnosis English exam.
     Fortunately, students were kind and very good at English, however, there was one student on his phone all the time. I felt annoyed because he didn't pay attention and I had told him many times to take away his cellphone but he didn't attend. I got mad and asked him to give me his cellphone but he stood up and told me that he was not going to give me anything. He was big and I got frustrated. I decided to ignore him after that and continued with my class. In the end, I told the principal what had happened and the student had to apologize. I didn't feel better after that but I was unexpert at that time.
     Moreover, I think that the diagnostic test was not a good idea for the first English class. It could have been boring for students and that may be the reason why they used the cellphone all the time. I should have done a dynamic and funny class that day as it was my opportunity to give students a good impression of the English class. Maybe, playing a game or doing some funny warming up activity.
     I have been working in the same school for one year and a half. I can say that I have had a great professional and personal growth there. I have worked with different groups and grades and I feel that I have learned a lot from everyone. In fact, I like that students tend to be very honest with me and tell me every time they do not like my class or there is a boring activity. In that school, I feel the freedom of teaching with autonomy, they do not impose a teaching style and I really value that because I have built my own technique and I work on improving it every day.