Marissa Mingee

Educational Autobiography
Introduction
Everyone has a different schooling experience. This is due to differences in race,
ethnicity, sex, and many other things. Anyone can have a different schooling experience, even
when you go to a school that is just down the street from the school your friend goes to. All
schools are different, even if they are in the same district. One school could be more diverse than
another, and they could be in the same district. This could be due to where the school is located.
More diverse schools will be in a more diverse neighborhood. Whereas less diverse schools, will
be located in less diverse neighborhoods. Less diverse neighborhoods also tend to be richer than
more diverse neighborhoods. During my school experience, I did not have a bad schooling
experience. I was never discriminated by my teachers, or students. But, I did see it happen in
school.
Impact of my Personal Cultural Background
Childhood
While in elementary school, I had many friends of different racial and ethnic
backgrounds. I never played with just my Caucasian classmates, I would play with everyone. All
throughout elementary school, I hung out with the girls and the boys. I considered myself
somewhat of a tom boy. I enjoyed playing sports and everything with the boys, instead of playing
with the girls. As a child, I knew that my friends were different from me, but I did not care. My
elementary school was more diverse than others. I would not say that it was very diverse, but I
do remember it being somewhat diverse. Having a diverse elementary school was very good for

me because it required me to learn about different cultures at a young age. As a young Caucasian
female, I did not experience and negatively different schooling experience.
Adolescence
As an adolescent, I began to really notice students getting a different experience because
of their race, ethnicity, gender, etc. My middle school was just as diverse as my elementary
school. All throughout middle school, I never had a negative experience when it came to my
teachers. They all treated me and my classmates the same. In my social studies classes, I learned
about different cultures. In seventh grade, my teacher Ms. Temby had us make a notebook. In our
notebook, we kept all of the worksheets we did in the class. We learned about so many different
cultures. African culture and Asian culture were among the few that we learned about. I really
enjoyed learning about someone elses culture other than my own. In eighth grade, we talked
more about U.S. government and U.S. history.
My high school was very diverse. My high school was one of the most diverse in my
district. Again, I was not treated negatively when it came to school. During my Junior year of
high school, I took a class called World Geography. This was one of my favorite classes. We
learned about so many different religions. We learned about Hinduism, Islam, and many others.
Learning about different religions was important to me because everyone does not follow the
same religion. The world is full of people with different religious beliefs. In high school, I
noticed that people of the same race tend to only hang out with each other. There is some
overlap, but most students just spend time with people of their same race. This did not really
happen during middle and elementary school.
Adulthood

Being in college is different than elementary, middle, and high school. Most professors
are not worried about treating students differently, they are more worried about the class as a
whole. Also, most students do not care. We are all here to get an education so we can get a job
after we graduate. Im sure that some professors treat their students differently based on race,
ethnicity, gender, etc., but I have never had to experience this. This goes back to the fact that I
am Caucasian, and I have privilege. I do not have as much privilege as a white male because I
am a woman. However, I do have more privilege than an African American man or woman. In
college I have noticed that the CSU campus is diverse, but not as diverse as Metro probably is.
However, by being in the Key Communities, I am surrounded by diversity. My residence hall,
Braiden Hall, is one of the most diverse halls on campus. As you grow older, you begin to see
racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc. everywhere you go. Especially in schools.
Critical Analysis Involving Diversity
All throughout my schooling experience, I have been surrounded by students of different
races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, etc., especially in high school. My high school
experience was when I was surrounded by the most diversity in my life. My school district,
Cherry Creek, is known as the rich and white school district. Most of the schools in this district
are predominately white, and are in rich neighborhoods. My high school was different. I had
friends who went to Grandview high school, which is about ten minutes from my high school,
Eaglecrest. Grandview was very white, and did not have much diversity. The students who went
to Grandview were also more on the rich side. They all drove very nice cars, and had the nicest
clothes. My school was diverse in race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status. Having a
high school just down the street be so different from mine is interesting to me. We are in the

same district and almost same area, but we are so different. The fact that my school was so
diverse had a positive impact on me as a person and a learner. I would not have it any other way.
Impact of Past Teachers
I had the most amazing teachers throughout my whole schooling experience. I only had
two teachers that I had bad experiences with, but it did not affect me that much. So many
teachers have impacted my life as a student, person, and a future teacher, but two stand out the
most. In seventh grade, I was put in to choir. I immediately fell in love with it. I always loved to
sing, and I loved music. But I did not start to appreciate music until I went to high school. My
choir director/teacher Mrs. Julie Williams is the most amazing choir director in the whole world.
She believes in all of her students and she sincerely loves all of them. She made my love for
music blossom into a huge obsession. Spending four years with her as my director impacted my
life so much. It was very hard to say goodbye to her when I graduated.
Another teacher that had a huge impact on my life was Faith Vigil-Schreder. I had Mrs.
Vigil as my eight grade history teacher, and I had her as my government and A.P. government
teacher in high school. Mrs. Vigil is part of why I want to be a teacher. She is the kind of teacher
I aspire to be. She pays attention to all of her students needs, and tries to help them in any way
that she can. She believes in all of her students and does not give up on them. She has helped me
blossom into the person that I am today. During my sophomore year of high school, I was her
student assistant. As her student assistant, I got to work with her closely and see how she plans
her classes. It was really fun to watch her teach, and I learned so much from watching her teach.
I owe her so much, and I do not think I would be the person I am without her.
Life-Changing Experiences

In fifth grade, I had a teacher that did not care about her students. She did not teach us
anything. She did not treat any of us nicely, but she treated one of my friends terribly. My friend
Payton had a hard time in school. In elementary school, many teachers told him that he would
not amount to anything and that he was stupid. After being told this at such a young age, Payton
had a hard time believing in himself and he did not apply himself. Eventually, he started to apply
himself and he graduated high school. I was so proud of him because I was not sure if that day
would come. Watching what Payton went through fueled my fire to become a teacher. As a
teacher, I will love and support my students no matter what. I will be there to encourage them,
not to tear them down.
Class Discussion
During class, we read many different articles about teaching. One of my favorite articles
was the Dalai Lama article titled, Education and the Human Heart. I love this article because it
talks about how using your heart in the classroom can make you a better and more effective
teacher. In the article, the Dalai Lama says, an open heart, a warm heart, will bring more
smiles (Lama, n.d.). I love this quote because I believe that you must have a big heart,
especially in your classroom. Having a big heart will make it easier for your students to connect
to you. They will feel more comfortable with you, which will then help them do better in school.
Another quote that I love is, true wealth is happiness (Lama, n.d.). I believe that true wealth
is happiness. You could have all of the money in the world, but if you are not happy, then there is
no need for the money. Being happy and loving what you do, is also something that can make
you a better teacher. If you do not love what you do, then you will not be happy while at work,
which can then affect your students learning. Another quote I enjoy is, helping them believe
in their own inner potentials (Lama, n.d.). I enjoy this quote because as a teacher, you must help

your students believe in themselves. If you do not care about your students, then you cannot help
them succeed. As a future teacher, I will make sure that my students know that I care for them
and I will make sure that they believe in themselves. The last quote that I enjoy is, valuelove
and compassion (Lama, n.d.). I enjoy this quote because teachers must value love and
compassion. Teachers must love their students and show their students compassion in order for
them to succeed. Many students go through many different things throughout their lives. And as
their teacher, you must show them compassion. As a future teacher, I will make sure to show my
students love and compassion. Throughout this course, I have learned so much about how to be
the best teacher you can be. The main information that I will take away is from the Dalai Lama
article. To be a teacher, you must have a big heart and you must show your students that you
care. If you want your students to succeed, show them love and compassion.
Conclusion
Every person can have a different schooling experience. I did not have a negative
schooling experience because of my race, ethnicity, gender, etc. As a Caucasian woman, I have
more privilege than others, even when it comes to education. I did not experience discrimination
throughout my schooling experience directly. I did watch some friends go through it, and it just
makes me want to be an amazing teacher. I want my students to feel that they are getting a
different education because they are different than me. I also want my students to feel loved and
accepted in my classroom. If students feel safe in the classroom, they are more likely to succeed.