Have you ever had a teacher who just wouldn't give up on you? A teacher who knew you were destined to do great things in life. Well, I have had many of these teachers in my life, and I still do. Most have been from high school, some in middle school and a few in elementary school. To all of these teachers who I have had in the past, I just want to start off this article by saying Thank you. Thank you for never giving up on me even when I had already given up on myself. You all believed in me and that means more to me than actually learning. I know that teaching is something that many people look at and say "who would want to teach a bunch of bratty kids who don't even want to be in school?" Well, I'll tell you who. Me! That's who. I found these amazing pictures on Facebook from this awesome page I follow called Great Teachers. (If you want to be a teacher of any kind, I recommend you go follow this page!) It's the little things that make me want to teach.
I have been told a few too many times that" being a teacher is just a waste of time. Teaching has no money, you can't provide for yourself yet alone a family on a teacher's salary." Yeah, well, teaching may not have a ton of money but if you were to ask teachers "why do you teach?" I bet you that they will say something along the lines of "because of the kids." or "because the world needs teachers." or (my personal favorite) "because I want to change lives." I want to be a teacher who changes a child's life. I want to be the one teacher who they will always remember for never giving up on them. To me, that is what teaching is all about. Being stuck in an office chained to a desk for eight hours a day just doesn't seem like a "dream job" I would want. Being in an office all day, I can't see how that is changing lives. I would love to see small smiling face looking up at me and saying "Good morning Miss.Teia!"
Ever since I was in sixth grade I have known that I wanted to be a teacher. Though the grade that I wanted to teach have changed, I have never thought of a different future for myself. Being a teacher is all about passion, loving your job and kids, changing lives, and most of all believing in a bright future of all your kids. Not just one or a few but all of them, weather they don't see it or their families don't see it, you HAVE to see it. Cause if you don't, then your not doing your job the right way. Show them that there is a future for them, trust me when I say they will never forget you for that. It will amaze you have young a child could be when you were their teacher and 10 to 15 years down the road they'd still remember you. That is one of my ultimate goals in life to have such a positive impact on a child's life that when they are older they will still remember me and what I had done for them. One thing I love about teaching is that every day not only does a student learn something, their teacher does too.
Although I'm still in college and haven't had much experience teaching, I have had enough to know that being a teacher is something that most people wouldn't think about as a "desired profession" but if people would stop and think who are the ones who prepare us for getting the jobs we have. I want all of you to stop reading this for 30 seconds and think how did I get this job? Who is responsible for me getting this far in life? Okay you have your answer? Was it teachers maybe? Because when I ask myself that question that is he only answer I can possibly come up with. Without teachers there would be no doctors, no police, no firemen, and come to think of it... no jobs period. Teachers teach to enlighten the minds of students everywhere so that they can get a job and become someone. Teachers teach to so others can change the world just like their teachers did for them. Now I'm not saying that everyone should go be a teacher or that every teacher I a good teacher, no I know that there are bad teachers out there, I had one.
She would tell me to read at the level I should be at and not above it at all. Please tell me what teacher tells a child who loves to read and is good at it that they can't read and need to be "on the same level" as the other children. Who in their right mind wants their whole class on the same level. Especially when it comes to reading. If your whole class was on the same level; the ones who aren't ready will struggle, the ones who are will get annoyed by the ones who aren't, and finally the ones who are more advanced will get board. Each child needs their own level with their own pace. A good teacher knows this, and works hard so that every child has a fighting chance. Because of this teacher, I gave up on reading which hurt my learning making more work for not only me but my other amazing teachers to come. These are the teachers who never gave up on me, unlike this particular teacher who would rather have me fail (which I almost did have to retake the second grade) instead of helping me grow. She defiantly hindered my educational growth and because of that I have had many learning problems. No teacher should ever do that to a child, and sadly I wasn't the only one in my class who she had done this too.
A great man once said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela. I relate to this quote so much. I want to teach preschool. I want to change to world with one little one at a time. It will amaze you on how you, just you, can have a small impact on such a little mind. This is why I teach.
