The truly inspirational poet, writer, and teacher, Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz offers a great example of the educational autobiography you will be writing in her essay “Getting to Here to There: One Woman’s Journey from the South Bronx to the Academy.”   In this short essay, Dr. Sealey-Ruiz explores how life circumstances and choices made by her father, mother, and brother affected her relationship with her own education in terms of hopes and expectations.  She also tells a wonderful story. Here you will read how Sealey-Ruiz excelled at school in the Bronx but college presented her with new challenges she had to overcome. She now teaches at Columbia University’s Teachers College. She teaches teachers how to teach. She believes that the educational autobiography is more than just an exercise. It is a way for us to understand who we are within the educational environment we find ourselves in. It is only by looking deeply at who we are that we can figure out where we can go and why it’s important.  In the quote from the essay, Sealey-Ruiz explores why she believes this assignment is so crucial:

“Part of making that difference, I think, is to care enough about each student and their personal story and offer space for them to share their experiences. Just as writing has allowed me to make peace with my past, I believe my students benefit from writing about those people, places and moments that impacted their lives. Thus, the educational autobiography is at the center of every course I teach.”

From Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz’s: “Getting from Here to the There: One Woman’s Journey from the South Bronx to the Academy”

I also invite you to watch this short video of Dr. Sealey-Ruiz. Here she discusses her approach to helping those who wish to become elementary, junior high, and high school teachers become more effective in the classroom.