Autobiography

My name is Ahna Christenson, and I was born and raised in Rochester, MN. For

elementary school I went through the Montessori program at Ben Franklin, and graduated from

John Marshall High School. After I graduated high school, I went to Rochester Community and

Technical College (RCTC) for nursing. However, after working as a CNA for about two years I

realized it was not for me, and I changed jobs and became a nanny, which was enough for me to

change my major to elementary education. I finished my first two years at RCTC and transferred

to Winona State - Rochester to finish my four year degree.

I have been a nanny for almost four years and have worked with children from newborn

to fourteen years old. I work for a nanny company, so I see different families for every shift. By

seeing kids from all ages and backgrounds it has taught me to be flexible and how to plan and

adapt activities for several developmental stages at once. All children are different and when you

first get your classroom you don’t know many specifics on each child. Just like being a nanny for

different families, the only information I know is names, gender, and ages. It’s up to me to find

various activities that are universal for most children, while also modifying based on skill levels

and interests for each child.

I want to be a teacher because I want to make a difference in a child's life. I want them to

leave my classroom fully prepared for the next year and have a love and excitement for learning.

One summer I was able to be a part of the Rochester Golf and Country Club's weekly golf camp

for children, which gave me great experience with managing children in large groups.

Homework help during school year shifts taught me that math is one of my better subjects and,

as a future educator, science is the area that I need to work on the most. My love for teaching

was sparked by watching a client I had while working as a CNA; she did a complete 180 in her
health because I was working with her and teaching her how to have a positive attitude. I

watched her come out of her shell, start to learn more skills, and laugh far more often, even her

children noticed. That was my sign that I needed an environment where I could watch someone

grow and learn.

Winona State has given me ample opportunities to grow and show what I have learned.

Our program has the privilege of being in Riverside Elementary, which gives us access to

students and the ability to have even more hours along side our peers and with the help of our

professors who are nearby. During these hours I was able to plan and give a week of small group

reading lesson in fourth grade, assists in a science experiment with fifth grade, and plan after

school activities for first and second graders. Outside clinical hours allowed me to gain

confidence in multiple age groups before beginning student teaching. I had 30 clinical hours in

kindergarten Montessori, 30 hours in fourth grade, and 30 hours in fifth grade, along with 16

weeks of student teaching in third grade.

A strength that I will be coming into the classroom with is my desire to learn more and

try again. I know that the only way I can do better in anything is to get feedback and try it over. I

feel I am coachable and always willing to learn how to do better next time. During my student

teaching I requested that my cooperating teacher gave me feedback on specific goals I had on

almost every lesson I taught. I pride myself in my relationships with students and finding out

what they need to be successful. I believe every student can succeed if they are given the proper

tools.