In this blog post, I will share my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of how I practiced kindness and generosity, and the steps I took to prepare for a career in teaching.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I chose biology as an advanced course within the science exploration curriculum. This was because I had a strong interest in the plants, animals, and microorganisms around me and wanted to study the field in greater depth. I approached the class with aptitude and passion, taking meticulous notes on everything I learned without missing a single detail.
I had a habit of quickly summarizing the key points emphasized by the teacher during class and organizing important textbook content by paraphrasing it, so my friends often told me I took good notes. After seeing my notes, my biology teacher suggested, “Why don’t you compile them into a book?” Inspired by that suggestion, I decided to actually create a notebook in the form of a textbook.
Once I decided to create a book, I raised the quality of my notes even further. For example, when explaining changes in blood pressure based on capillary locations or osmosis, I drew specific body parts and blood vessels directly into the notes and included relevant graphs to make them visually easy to understand. For parts that felt complex, I simplified the diagrams and presented them alongside consolidated graphs.
I scanned the completed notes as PDFs as I went along and posted them on my personal blog. The positive response from friends who saw the blog led me to actually have the book printed and bound. By personally overseeing the binding process at the print shop and incorporating revisions, I improved the quality of the content. Through this process, I also gained a clear understanding of what information was included in various reference books.
As a result, my notebook became a tool for organizing my studies and led to improved grades. It was also helpful to friends who received copies, and by sharing my notes with other friends through my blog, we were able to foster a culture of mutual support where we supplemented each other’s study materials.
Major School Activities and Reflections
During my three years of high school, I sought to gain meaningful experiences by investing time not only in my studies but also in club activities. In particular, I dedicated my weekends primarily to club activities, balancing my studies with these external commitments. As a member of the environmental club, I focused on internal activities while also forming networks with clubs from other schools, which led to participation in local community initiatives.
The experience of working with students from other schools’ clubs was both new and enjoyable. By communicating with them and hearing about their school life and club activities—rather than limiting myself to our school’s culture—I was able to gain a broader perspective. During our regular meetings, we studied environmental topics together and referred to materials from external organizations and communities.
Through these activities, I learned about an organization called the Environmental Action Alliance and participated in a program they offered, which provided me with in-depth resources and information. Our club focused particularly on water pollution issues because we believed that contamination of the water we use daily directly affects our health.
Together with club members, we conducted independent research and study on sewage and wastewater issues, wastewater treatment facilities, and water purification methods. To put this knowledge into practice, we carried out various field activities, such as river cleanup campaigns, the removal of invasive plant species, and fish fry release campaigns. We carried out these activities in collaboration with clubs from other schools, and the more physically demanding the work was, the more we supported one another, working together with dedication.
Through this process, I felt a sense of fulfillment and responsibility that comes from collaborating toward a common goal, and I developed a dream of spreading awareness about methods to prevent environmental pollution and the value of doing so.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
To mark World Water Day on March 22, the environmental club planned a natural soap-making event as an activity to reduce river and stream pollution. Although it was an internal club activity, we shared the production process and results online to spread awareness of our cause more widely, and we also invited environmental clubs from nearby schools to participate.
To make the natural soap, we researched and purchased materials together, including soap base, additives, essential oils, and soap molds. Since we planned to create functional soaps designed for health and beauty and distribute them free of charge to schools, hospitals, and socially marginalized groups, we paid extra attention to the production process.
We divided the roles to ensure an efficient production process. We carried out detailed tasks such as cutting the soap base into small pieces and melting it in the microwave, mixing in the additives, sorting the essential oils and pouring them into the molds, and removing bubbles with ethanol. I was in charge of blending the additives and packaging. My responsibilities included enhancing the soap’s functionality by incorporating ingredients such as grain powder, paprika powder, castor oil, and vitamin E derivatives, as well as matching the colors and packaging to the specific characteristics of each soap.
Upon completing the entire process and seeing the packaged soaps, all club members felt a great sense of pride. We wrote the recipients’ addresses on each box and shipped them to schools, hospitals, and underprivileged organizations. I felt a deep sense of fulfillment knowing that we had made even a small contribution to reducing the environmental damage caused by chemical detergents in rivers and the resulting health issues.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I have had an interest in and aptitude for science since childhood, and I have studied diligently based on this foundation. My experience in the environmental club, where I focused on environmental pollution issues and worked to solve them, has clearly defined the kind of teacher I want to become. I am confident that my passion for science, combined with my experience addressing environmental issues, will serve as a strong foundation for my teaching career.
I aspire to become an elementary science teacher who inspires children to take an interest in science and helps them realize the significance of learning it. Through inquiry-based activities, I aim to guide students in observing living organisms and natural phenomena, conducting experiments, and teaching them how to independently analyze problems in their daily lives and think scientifically. I am designing lessons that integrate environmental pollution issues with scientific theories, helping children connect their areas of interest with science and study with enthusiasm.
I believe that my experiences of taking concrete action based on my love and curiosity for science have helped me develop the qualities necessary to be a teacher. Moving forward, I will study more deeply in the Department of Science Education at university to build my practical teaching skills, and I will continue to work diligently to ensure I am fully prepared to teach elementary school students.
