Practice Blog Post

Outline

A. My life in general
1. My family
2. Where I've lived
3. High school experiences

B. My interests
1. Tabletop Gaming
2. Reading
3. Writing

C. My goal of teaching
1. Why I chose South Alabama
2. My swap to English and Education
3. Theories on Education

I come from a traditional southern family that has had ties to the profession of
education since the 1940s. As such, I've live in the rural town of Hurley, Mississippi
for my entire life. Being from a small, rural town, my experience at East Central High
school was the standard affair consisting of making a few timeless friends and learning
some life lessons along the way. I suppose this status quo high school experience may have
been the subtle nudge that pushed me into the field of education. I remember wanting to
make classes more memorable and interactive.

Since I come from a small town such as Hurley I spent most of my time hanging out with
close friends playing some form of tabletop game such as Risk, Talisman, or
Dungeons & Dragons. We would stay up into the wee hours of the morning laughing and just
enjoying the game and each other's company. I believe that these memories that I have
of board gaming are what led to my love for the theories of gamifying education. However,
when not among friends I usually spent my time reading the fantasy greats such as Stephen
King, J.R.R. Tolkien, or George MacDonald. I would spend hours pouring over their works
and experiencing adventures and realms that are only possible through the pages of books
and one's imagination. This proclivity for devouring literature inevitably led to my desire
to be a published writer one day. Thus, I usually spend my spare time writing and editing
my work. Currently, I am working on a fantasy novel titled The Shepherd and the Succubus
that advocates the importance of free thought and acceptance.

In reference to my choice of schools, I chose South Alabama because they had an excellent
Biomedical Sciences program. I know that its an odd qualifier for an education major,
but I was originally a Biomedical Sciences Major. My swap to English and Education
was spurred on by a moment of catharsis that I experienced during last semester. I realized
that even though I was skilled in the scientific fields I was not happy with the idea of my
future career. I also believed that I could make a difference in the field of education
by implementing theories such as gamifying education and encouraging free thinking within
the classroom. On a separate note I believe that the job of the modern educator is to
prepare their students to both think freely for themselves and be proficient with the
ever field of technology.