Purpose
Now that you've reflected on your broader teaching identity, we want to turn your attention specifically to computer science. Every educator in this program comes to CS with a different history — many just beginning, some with years of experience, and others somewhere in between. All of those starting points are legitimate. All of them lead somewhere.
This reflection helps you recognize the experiences, attitudes, emotions, and influences that shape your relationship with CS. Making these ideas visible to yourself will support your growth throughout FCCS and help you craft a meaningful path as a CS educator.
Background
For many teachers, CS is a new professional space — one filled with both excitement and uncertainty. You may be stepping into unfamiliar content, or you may already feel at home in technical thinking. Either way, your past experiences with CS (and with technology more broadly) shape how you learn, how you teach, and how you see yourself in this field.
Your "CS story" might include classes you took (or avoided), tools you used, teachers who encouraged you, teachers who discouraged you, moments of confidence, or moments of frustration. Even if your CS background feels limited, you still bring experiences that influence how you will grow as a CS teacher.
Guiding Prompts
The prompts below are intended to spark reflection. You do not need to answer them one by one. Instead, use them to guide a thoughtful exploration of your CS journey.
1. Early Experiences with Computing or Technology
- What are your earliest memories involving computers or technology?
- Were those experiences exciting, confusing, intimidating, joyful?
- How do these early interactions shape how you think about CS today?
2. Your Experiences as a CS Learner
If you have engaged with CS formally or informally:
- What made certain learning moments positive or challenging?
- What emotions do you associate with learning CS?
If you have never taken CS coursework:
- What did you imagine CS to be?
- Who or what shaped those impressions?
3. Your Experiences as an Educator
- How does your teaching background influence how you approach CS?
- Have you taught related subjects such as math, STEM, or technology integration?
- Which teaching moments — positive or negative — inform how you expect to teach CS?
4. A High Point and a Low Point
- Peak experience: When did you feel confident or excited about CS or technology?
- Nadir experience: When did you feel frustrated, confused, or stuck?
5. Influential People or Moments
- Who or what has encouraged your interest or confidence in CS?
- Has anything discouraged or intimidated you regarding CS?
6. Challenges and Growth
- What challenges have you faced related to CS or technology?
- How have you responded, adapted, or persisted?
7. Looking Ahead: Your CS Future
- What do you hope to gain from FCCS?
- What kind of CS teacher do you want to become?
- What excites you? What concerns you?
Writing the Reflection
Write a reflection of approximately 1–2 pages (or 500–800 words) about your journey with technology, computing, and computer science. You may write:
- A single narrative essay, or
- A set of short sections that address the themes above.
Choose the structure that feels most natural to you. What matters is that your reflection is sincere, thoughtful, and helps you articulate your own evolving identity as a CS educator.
Submission
Submit your reflection as a single document (PDF or DOC, not a link to a Google Doc) on Blackboard.
There is no right or wrong story — this reflection helps us understand your starting point and supports your growth throughout our program.
This document is not graded in the traditional sense. Instead, it serves as a foundation for later reflections and as evidence of thoughtful engagement with your own teaching identity. It will appear in the gradebook with a score of 0 or 1 simply reflecting whether you submitted a thoughtful reflection.
One last suggestion: save a copy of what you write somewhere easy to find. In a few weeks, when the material gets harder and the feeling of uncertainty is strongest, reading your own words from this moment can be a useful reminder of where you started and why you came.