My name is Moises Velasquez. I am currently enrolled in the New York City of Technology. I am currently majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences, this is only temporary. I am undecided at the moment, but I feel like I have an idea on what I would like to base my career on. I would like to become a teacher in the future. I am not sure what subject it will be yet but I just know I like to teach. Although I don’t look it, as I was growing up I was always that student the classmates would go to when they needed help on a problem. I always enjoy helping others in something I am good at so this field is something I am very interested in. Helping kids is something I want to do because I feel like a teacher has a very big impact on the future of some students. If I can impact at least one student’s life I would be content. I want to find those students that waste their potential on negative things and help them as much as possible. I also like to learn so pursuing this field will give me a lot of new learning experiences.
Pursuing this field will entitle me to have general knowledge in various things. According to the City Tech catalog is should be “based on a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences that forms the basis for our shared values understanding and responsibilities in a democracy”. The steps I am taking right now is already connects to this.Other steps I will have to take is having the ability to use modern day technology to use in a learning system. I will also have to be able to make a learning plan based on the abilities on to students. The major thing I want to do in city tech is get all the general classes out of the way. If I have to end up transferring then so be it but I would like to have all those general stuff out of the way at least.
“Don’t ever say you can’t do something until you trying, and if you fail, try try again”. This simple quote has followed me since I was a kid. My fifth grade teacher, Mr Smith, repeated this quote several times during my fifth grade year. I have no doubt in my mind that he has forgotten who I even am but if I could wish for something it would be for him to know he has unconsciously affected someone’s life in a positive way. The main reason I would like to be a teacher is because of this. Most people can remember at least one teacher from their schools years that have affected their lives or at least experience in school on some way. Sometimes is can be a negative effect or it can be a very positive one like I have experienced. I hope to provide the latter if I do become a teacher in the future.
No matter what kind of subject I want to teach as a teacher I would still have to be well educated in every kind of field. According to the city tech catalog I should have a general knowledge of every subject such as math, science, and history. One of the reasons I also want to become a teacher is so I can learn more about every field. Having considerable knowledge in various fields will also help me as a person feel better about myself. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to be kept out of the loop so whenever someone is having an educated conversation I would rather give my input than staying quiet. I am also very prideful so knowing things other people don’t gives me a sense of power over them even if it is just for a second. I promise I am not actually a jerk.
“ Seeing students develop new skills and gain an appreciation for knowledge and learning can be very rewarding. However, teaching may be stressful.Occasionally, teachers must cope with unmotivated or disrespectful students”. As said by the occupational handbook being a teacher can be both rewarding and irksome. I can personally agree with the latter. I have seen at least two teachers in my lifetime that have honestly cried because of their students. It is an undisputable fact that there are horrible students out there that make a teacher’s life a living hell. Nothing can really be done with these kind of students. Unlike these kind of students there are students are just as disrespectful but have the potential to be something much better. I’d say I personally can somewhat fall in this category. Although I never actually outright disrespected my teachers, I never really listened to what teachers had to say. I didn’t respect their wisdom and experience. This was mainly in my early years of high school. Junior year I was finally able to pick up my act, but I would be lying if I said I did this alone.
My english teacher throughout my last two years of highschool gave me the words I needed to hear at the time. She told me I had the potential to be something much more. I reluctantly took her advice to take school more seriously and by the end of highschool I had risen my GPA from a 78 to about a 90 average. I made it into the honor roll and the national honor society by graduation. Fewer than ten of my classmates were in the national honor society. It gave me great pleasure to see people surprised that I was a member. This personal experience is another reason I want to become a teacher. I hate seeing kids with so much potential fail to become something much better than they are just because they don’t have someone to push them. I know there are student out there like me who just need someone to believe in them in order for them to become successful. I want to become that teacher, that role model that students can think back and thank for the person they didn’t become.
Since City Tech does not provide the kind of education major I am looking for I will have to eventually transfer to another school. According to the city tech catalog the only major they provide in education is in career and technology teacher education. Since this occupation is similar to the occupation I am looking into I can take more classes they are offering. The classes they offer for this major coincide with whatever teacher I will want to become in the future. Taking these general classes and passing them with high grades will allow my transfer to another school to run smoothly.
If someone else in city tech is looking to become a teacher as am I then my best advice would be to get those general classes out of the way first. Once you have down transfer to another school that provides more opportunities in the teaching field. Go back to any teachers that have helped you in the past and ask them for advice. That is something I am looking forward to doing when I have more time once this semester ends. Teachers have a huge impact on how some students will turn out in life, especially those students who need that extra attention they can’t get somewhere else. I am excited to embark on the journey I am about to take to become the helping hand of some future person out there.

WORK CITED
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Middle School Teachers,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/o5oh/education-training-and-library/middle-school-teachers.htm (visited May 9, 2015).
New York City College of Technology (City Tech). “Career and Technology Teacher Education.”New York City College of Technology College Catalog 2014-2015. Web. 29 March 2015.

Introduction
This is my “Writing my Brain” project. In my opinion the whole point of this project was to help us dive deep into our thoughts and think about our future. If that was the point then this project definitely did that. In this project I wrote about all the things I currently put too much attention to contrary to what I should be focused on. The next three categories are divided by a paragraph about my thoughts throughout a day, three images of what I was thinking throughout that day and three images of what I wish I was thinking about. Finally the last category is the base of my project which is the five page essay.

Thinking in Writing
The human mind is a crazy thing. To try to write down even just a couple thoughts I had throughout the day was almost impossible. You think of so many things in a day. It usually is set up by certain events. For example, as I was recording my thoughts I noticed a pattern where I would go from simple or deep thoughts to more annoying ones in a matter of seconds. As I’m walking, whether its to the train station or back home, my thoughts go towards the deep side since all I’m concentrated on is my surroundings and music. When I actually get home or I am on the train a lot of things seem to annoy me like train delays or my nephew smacking me awake every morning. Little things like that caused my thoughts to stray towards less deep thoughts to more simple ones. I did have a issue with the thoughts that I was having in the first place. As I recorded my thoughts I noticed one basic thought that never stopped coming back in line. Money. It’s all I thought about, second to none. I feel like that is a really bad thing. I was raised to see money as just defensive means in life. There are other things more important than money like family or God. I don’t want to sound like a complete jerk though, I of course thought of other things like my family and in the end of the day I want to make so much money so I can provide for my family which is why I am always thinking about it. I wish that I was thinking more about school because in most cases the best way to make money would be to finish school in the first place. I also had many thoughts about materialistic things like sneakers or clothes. I wish I could have thought more about getting my permit and license like I promised myself I would. One more thing I wish I was thinking more about is how to better adjust myself so I can get all this homework done so I won’t be doing it last minute like I am right now. It’s not a good habit, not a good habit at all.

Thinking Visually
https://instagram.com/p/zQCeZmE3QR/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

I picked out this picture because it shows two things I admire very much. Basketball is my favorite sport and LeBron James is my favorite player. One of the constant thoughts in my head was basketball and when the playoffs would finally start.

https://instagram.com/p/zQDHmLE3Rk/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

This photo pretty much represents me. These are just a few of my sneakers and if you know me then you’d know how much I love sneakers and clothes overall. This is one of the thoughts I wish I had less of since its so materialistic and won’t allow me to actually gain anything I’m the future

https://instagram.com/p/zQDbB5E3Se/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

This last photo of what I was constantly thinking about during the day is games. If loved games since I was young and that love hasn’t faltered since. This should be the last thing on my mind though since I’m really at the turning point I’m my life where I should be thinking about more important things.

https://instagram.com/p/zQD9cBE3Tj/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

This is a photo of my newborn niece. She represents my family. In the end of the day everything I do and my aspirations to make so much money goes back to them. I want to be able to provide for my family and that’s why they should be the number one thing going on in my mind

https://instagram.com/p/zQQ7ahE3ca/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

This is a photo of my soon to be but broken down car. I picked this photo because is represents the thoughts I should be having like finally getting my license and fixing my car up. I only hope I can start to think more productively.

https://instagram.com/p/zQXXnAE3Yt/?taken-by=m.velasquez128

My last picture is of me and some of my friends. It represents the appreciation I have of for them even if I’d never actually say it until now. Iv gone through a lot and they’ve always been there so I wish I could think more about how to give back to them.

Thinking Reflectively

Wow, It is 2020 already. I really cannot believe its been this long. If you are wondering who this is well, I am you, in five years. Its been a short time but a lot has changed. There are a lot of things I want to tell you. I just recently graduated from school so if you want to graduate too, then just listen to what I have to say. Stay focused. That is the number one thing you should be thinking about. I use to think about clothes, sneakers, basketball and other trivial things like that, but you have to change your thinking. Sure those stuff are fun or cool but they should only be your secondary thoughts. Think about getting yourself promoted at work to gain a little more money on the side to provide for this nice apartment I am living in. Save up the money you make to finally get yourself a decent car instead of wasting it on clothes all the time. Most importantly think about your family and how you will provide for them in the future. You will not be living in that house much longer so find some ways to help them out while you are not there anymore. Four years from now you will be graduating and although its been a hard path, its worth it trust me. I bet you are wondering what it is you end up majoring in. Well that is something you have to figure out. If you keep reading maybe I will give you a hint. You are me so you I know you will figure it out. What I can tell you about is all the thoughts you use to have contrary to all the thoughts you should be having.
Starting college in the first place was pretty hard for me.“ Ehh ill do it tomorrow”. That is probably the number one phrase we use say when I got lazy. That kind of mindset has to change from now on. Stay focused on your future. Surround yourself by people that not only want to be successful but also want to see you become successful. Remember those thoughts you had on train about maybe taking advantage of the long train ride and doing some homework? “Maybe I should do some homework since i’ll be on this train for more than a hour…..nah”. Those little moments like that really affected us in the long run. It becomes a bad habit and leaving things for last minute just became a natural occurrence. This is your chance to stop all that. Planning ahead and getting things done before they even have to be done will really save yourself a great deal of sleepless nights. Think about the big picture and become serious about life. You are not in high school anymore and life at home is not pretty right now, I remember.This brings up another point I would like to share with you about the things you waste your money on.
Ever since you were young money was always an issue in the household. There were times where our parents even believed that we would be evicted from the household. It is my belief that this is why we really love materialistic things to this day. Finally gaining a job at 16 and attaining more money was a big thing. You felt the need to show off at times not only to others but yourself to remind yourself that you actually have money unlike older times. This is what lead to the bad habit of wasting almost the entirety of your money on clothes.
Clothes run your life right now whether you want to admit it or not. You have become materialistic as of late and it is to some extent unhealthy. Taking the right steps starting now is imperative to your future success. You may believe that I am exaggerating but in reality cutting ties with this bad habit is for the best, it will teach you the concept of saving up for something really important in the future. You want to guess where I am living right now? It is definitely not in our parents house anymore and that is because I saved up for this apartment and all the furniture in it. It did not even take these five years to get it too, an opportunity will arise soon where you will hope that you have saved up enough money to finally move out of that house and if you don’t have the money because if your money wasting ways then you will regret all those decisions you made thus far. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The best thing about all this is that preventing yourself from wasting all the money you have on clothes will actually help you buy even more clothes five years from now. I now have enough money, with moderation of course, to get all the clothes and sneakers my heart desires. Hearing that has to make you wonder what kind of job you will have in five years that provides such an income.
Well for starters let us think about the the job you currently have. I’m sure you can agree Uniqlo is a big upgrade from your first job as a Mcdonald’s employee, but it does not have to stop there. Mcdonald’s was offering you a manager role before you left so why not apply the kind of behavior that led to them offering you that kind of raise to Uniqlo. If you put in more effort to work than you have been lately then by at least a year you you could have gotten a raise at least three times because of the great opportunities this job offers it’s employees. By two years of still being with this retail company you will be a AA2, equal to at least 15 dollars which is a big increase from now. The road to get to this level will not be a easy one though. It is a lot of hard work and unfortunately a tad bit of kissing up to your supervisors. At the end of these two years you learn an abundance of working techniques that provides the success you will have in the future. You begin to challenge yourself by solving problems without the help of a supervisor which in turn makes their life easier and the outlook they have of you more positive. An example would be learning skills on how to deal with rowdy customers, you hate dealing with them so you know your supervisors do too. Take advantage of the opportunities to show off in the workplace, if your co workers begin to say you like to work to much then good job, that is exactly how it should look. Gaining the motivation to be more successful in the workplace and life in general is what will lead the job you really desire after those four years in college.
Go back to the thoughts you had that day you were assigned to write down again. Remember when you started to stray off in thought about basketball after looking at those pictures about all star weekend taped on the trains? One thing in particular that you said was “ i wish i could just make a career out of talking about basketball”. Well you are actually on the right path. Incorporate the love you have for basketball into a job you want to do as a living. This was just a dream at one point, but make it a reality. Five years from now you’re starting off as an upcoming journalist, although it is still a long path from now it will pay off in the end. I’m starting off small by covering the local high school basketball team but you have to start off somewhere.The amount of pay you get from still being a supervisor in Uniqlo and covering that high school is really good too. These are the kind of thoughts you should be having from now on, but there is one last thing you might be forgetting.
Family. They are the reason you want to become successful.Struggling the way you are right now is not how you want them living forever. Get a great job so they won’t have to worry about things like if there will be enough money for next months rent. Think about that photo you took of your baby niece for your class assignment. Become a role model for your future kids and all your nephew and nieces you love so much. This is what drove me to follow my dreams to become and journalist, but it will not end there.
I’d usually end this with a recap about this whole essay but instead I am gonna write about the changes I am willing to start making after hearing from my future self. There is an abundance of information I can take out of this and instill in my life starting today. Challenging myself any time I have the opportunity is a big one as it will teach me how to deal with problems in a convenient way. My family should be going through my head more often instead of just myself and my selfish desires. The biggest thing I can take out of this is motivation and focus. These two things are the things I lack the most. If I had more motivation to do better in school I probably would not have to take that stupid remedial math course which is not even giving me any credits. I probably would have started school a semester earlier like I planned too. If I had more focus I wouldn’t be writing this paper at the last minute like all my homework. I can take a lot out of this essay and that is most likely why it was assigned so I can gain the motivation to grow up and deal with life the right way.