Educational Autobiography by Anne DaSilva

Educational Autobiography

When examining my childhood and now through adolescence, educational experiences have been extremely prevalent. Throughout my life, and for many others my age, the schooling experience has shaped and occupied a significant part of childhood and play. Sifting through memories and past experiences I cannot imagine my life without school. School determined what time I would get up each morning, where I would be sitting long hours over the course of the day, my meals, how much time I would spend with my family and friends, when family vacations took place, and any other activities that would be available as a resource. I get frustrated thinking about time that was potentially wasted for most of my school life behind concrete walls and conventional settings and teaching methods. However, if one is constantly thinking about what went wrong, growth is limited, and options are clouded. It is important to be aware of experiences and how they shape our perspectives and decisions concerning education.

Pre school through primary and junior high school consisted of intensive socialization processes and experiences that although did not ever pertain to content “taught” it helped me understand conventional systems. Until the day I graduated high school, I had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance everyday (additionally prayer, in high school). We never had discourse about what the words meant or why we said them every single day, just that it was our duty to recognize our country through saying these words, whatever the hell they meant. The experience of reciting words automatically without thought is a lot how we learned most things in grade school; knowing what we had to know to take a test, or regurgitate to the rest of the class during presentations, but not evolving anything further.

Socially, I learned how to be accepted by the “cool” crowd, without being committed or put on the spot light. I learned to follow, stay under the radar, and not cause attention that would potentially hinder my social status. I was a floater, friends with everyone, close enough to sit anywhere and talk to anyone, but not close enough to have consistent “play dates” or even a best friend. I was very happy, and although enjoying groups and teams, preferred to go solo most of the time. I valued unstructured play, through art projects, gardening and music with my dad. I liked making decisions about what I would be participating, and if my older sister enjoyed it, I most definitely wanted to do the same.

While applying to college, I took the little sister role, the follower rout, of basically walking in my sisters footsteps and finding a place at the University of Redlands as well. I was very comfortable in this space, considering my acquaintance over the past three years while visiting my sister Julia, I knew Johnston and CAS students alike. I was a floater yet again in my first year at Redlands, spending time with both communities, often bringing together both groups of people into a larger and diverse community. I had a neutral sense between both worlds, but found that academically Johnston was finally the educational “plan” that I wanted to stick to and put forth not only my time and work, but heart and soul. Finding a community that I feel I cannot float away from finally feel safe, and not constrained. I am able to finally take responsibility and make decisions pertaining to my education, and not just extracurricular or unstructured.