Sarah Chesworth

Teacher Autobiography Big Book

Today I want to share with you one of my very favorite creations: my teacher autobiography big book. For one of my literacy and language classes, I had to create an autobiography to share with the kids I would teach. I went all out! I really enjoyed sharing my autobiography with my field based and student teaching classes. The kids are so fascinated to see pictures of you as a kid and learn more about you. After I read my autobiography, I always added it to the classroom library for the kids to reread. It was usually the first book chosen : ) It’s also I great way to introduce yourself if you will be teaching a workshop or staff development or something like that. Teachers love this kind of stuff!
Here are some of the pages in my autobiography:
All About Me Teacher Book

This is the cover.

Have to throw in some text features!
I made a page for each grade level since I didn’t know what grade I would teach. Kindergarten is of course my now favorite page. The little picture is from my kindergarten journal. It says, “I play school.”

This is one of my very favorite pages! The kids love looking for books they have read.

The last page.

To make my autobiography, I used half sized sheets of poster board. I HATE having to cut poster board because I am so OCD about the cuts being perfect and straight, So, I bought precut half size poster board, way worth it to me : ) I just bought the primary scrapbook paper pack from Hobby Lobby to use with the pictures and titles. I cut out all of the title letters using my Cricut machine. Then I put together all of the pages, laminated them and bound it together. One thing I would really suggest for binding is book rings. This way it is easy to add or remove pages at any time. If you have lots of pages, try these. 

Fun Ideas of Things to Include in your Autobiography:
  • Pictures of you in different grades
  • Report Cards
  • Award Certificates
  • Work that you may have done in elementary school (My mom saved everything! So my autobiography is filled with old pictures I drew about wanting to be a teacher! )
  • Pictures of family and friends
  • Pictures of Pets
  • Places you’ve traveled
  • Pictures of past classes
  • Favorite Books
  • Other Favorite Things
I can’t wait to share my autobiography with my first precious class of kindergarteners on the first day of school. Just typing that brings tears to my eyes. I can’t believe how blessed I am. If you make an autobiography (or if you already have one) please, please, please share it with me! I would love to see it : )

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Sara S. says

    This is awesome! What a great idea and I bet your students love to read it. I am definitely going to make one too! And I totally understand the poster board thing – I am exactly the same way!

    Sara 🙂

  5. Busy Bees says

    This book looks awesome! I used to do one in a binder, but the stuff in it got too old. This inspires me to do one again!! Just found your darling blog. I live in Ohio, but headed to Texas in July to move our son!!
    Robynn
    BusyBees

  6. Deanna says

    Good luck in your first year of teaching!
    This is a really cute idea. I'm sure your students will love learning about you.

  7. Anonymous says

    Wow!! I can only imagine how long that took to put that together. Great job! I bet the kids loved it. I wonder how theirs were in comparison to yours? hehe. Awesome project- I think I'll try next year!

  14. Brynley says

    Your book is darling! I use a scrapbook of the the year to introduce myself to the kids. I think showing them photos of yourself and telling little personal stories are truly the best way to break the ice.

    Brynley
    Brynley's Brainstorms

  19. Samantha says

    This is so creative and I know the kids will eat it up! They always love to know more about their teacher. 🙂 Can't wait to see what other ideas you share!

  20. Chrissy says

    I'm your newest follower. Love your book!I think you've inspired me to finally make one too._Do you mind if I pin your idea?
    Chrissy

  21. Camille says

    Sarah,
    I love this idea! On her last day my wonderful student teacher gifted us with her autobiography. I thought it was a brilliant idea and that all teachers should create one for the beginning of the year. Now, thanks to you, I have loads of ideas on how to create one. Thank you!
    Camille
    An Open Door

  22. Sarah says

    I am so flattered by all of the comments! I will be updating this post soon with some more pictures of my autobiography. I would love for you to pin my post. I can't wait to read all of your blogs soon! : )

  24. Amanda says

    Love this idea! It can work with all grades too! Just so happens that I am at my parents how for the week and have access to all my childhood pictures! Perfect timing! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it.

    Amanda
    Reaching for the TOP!

  25. AmberO says

    Found you from Chalk Talk…what a WONDERFUL idea! You are so creative:) I just finished my first year in first grade, and it was all I dreamed it would be (and more…stressful!phew!!) You will do a TERRIFIC job, I am sure. You're right; we are so BLESSED to have these dream jobs! I wish you the very best this year, and will be following you to see how it goes:) Yay!

  28. Miss Schinke's First Grade Blog says

    I am in love with this idea. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to make one of my own. I actually made one in college as part of a Field Experience project, but love how much more detailed your's is. Plus a lot of my life has changed since those days. So thanks for the inspiration to make a new one. Your blog is wonderful and truly an inspiration! Please follow my blog Keeping Up With First Grade so that we can *Teach to Make a Difference* together!
    http://keepingupwithfirstgrade.blogspot.com/

  29. miss kranz says

    I made one of these at tech as well!! my kiddos LOVED when i read it to them the first dasys of school and they LOVE reading it throughout the year on their own!!…I made mine like a 'fairy tale' story, i love how you added in your favorite books and fun facts page!! you have inspired me to add my book on my blog! thanks!!

    xoxo,
    sophie kranz (fellow red raider)
    adayinthelifeofmisskranz.blogspot.com

  32. Anonymous says

    So cute! Definitely worth the hard work you put into it. I can't help but to laugh thinking of you tearing up at the computer hahah. Love you!

  35. Michelle Ehrlich says

    Love it!!! I do the same thing and the kids love it! I do one more step, and I have the students make their own "All About Me Book". Every friday each student takes a different friend's book home for the weekend.(including mine) I have a chart for the year that tells me who takes which book. We do this until everyone has had each student's book! We talk about how we take care of other friend's property before I send them home for the weekend. I also laminate all the books!

    Michelle
    Pre-K in Pearland, TX

  36. Jennifer says

    Love this idea!!! I have been looking for ways to introduce myself to students as their counselor. And I have also been looking for ways to use my cricut! Thanks for sharing!

  39. Lydia says

    Loving this idea!! I am starting my first year of teaching and can't wait to get going! I am definitely making one of these!

  40. Mrs. P says

    I LOVE this!! I just stumbled across your blog tonight and was excited to first find another first year teacher (even though we will be in different grades) but even more excited when I saw your adorable autobiography book! I am going to start working on mine ASAP (aka tomorrow after church). My Cricut is going to be quite busy! Thanks for sharing your book.. I will definitely send you pictures of mine once I'm finished!

    Ashley
    http://www.secondgradeparadise.blogspot.com

  41. Inquisitive...and hungry says

    Great idea! I am a ZTA that just graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio with an Early Childhood Education Degree. I just interviewed for a kindergarten job this week, and will definitely be making one of these if I get it!

    ZLAM!!

  42. twilliams says

    Love your blog! The book about you is such an awesome idea! I just found your blog on Pinterest and ma now a follower. Hope you will check out my blog, I think you will like it because it is pigs!

    Teresa
    2nd Grade Pig Pen

  43. Mrs. DuBose says

    This is such a cute idea! I love all the pictures of you growing up. Great job… and I might just have to borrow this idea!! 😉 Love it!!

    Breanna

  44. Gennie Kay says

    What a wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to get started on mine. Congratulations on your first teaching job. Have a great school year!
    Even though I teach 2nd grade, I will definitely be following your blog.

  45. Jennifer Leach says

    Hello Sarah! I absolutely love this! I am also a first year teacher (third grade) and I would love to create a book similar to this one. Only thing is I don't have too many pictures of myself as a kid. Ironically I do have my third grade class picture, I believe that's the only class picture I do have. Maybe I was destined to be a third grade teacher? LOL! Again this is such an awesome idea! Best of luck to you!

  47. Cathlin says

    So cute! I'm moving from 3rd to 1st grade so I'll be checking out your blog often, I'm sure! Follow me at afirstgradejourney.blogspot.com

  55. Dawn Bright says

    Hi,
    I have done a book like this too, and you're right: the kids LOVE looking through it. I should include more pages like yours, thanks for the good ideas! On my last page, I put something about liking meeting new friends like … YOU, and I stuck on one of those little round mirrors that you get in the automotive dept of stores like Walmart. They're cheap, and have some adhesive on the back, so when the kids get to the last page they see themselves, which is always something they love. LOL

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