Once you begin your last year of college, it is typical to get the “butterflies in your stomach” type of feeling as you begin to anticipate the future that you have long prepared and worked so hard for. As I enter my final year as a college student, I happily listen to my friends pour out their plans they have made for after graduation with vibrant excitement; however, I fail to reciprocate that feeling in the same way. Now, I don’t intend that to sound entirely somber or hopeless because I am more than proud and thrilled to become a teacher. The problem is that the worries of the position have begun to cloud my previous excitement.
As I began my college education, I possessed an eager attitude and ultimate joy as I was to pursue a dream that would make me the happiest employed person on the planet. However, when I started observation hours at various school districts, my attitude and joy began to deteriorate. For years, teachers have started to drown my excitement with their consistent complaints about the “issues” that teachers have to deal with “thanks to Scott Walker”, budgets, administrators, “unruly” students, and so forth as the list continues. Teachers seem to be fed up with the education system and are not afraid to give me the warning. Now, I can hardly blame them. Quite honestly, the hurtful blows that teachers have taken from so many people will have such an effect. However, the attitude we have taken is inexcusable in my mind.
After all of these unexpected and unwanted lectures, I began questioning my career choice. In fact, my attitude toward the position had changed as a new fear and anger had been instilled in me through experiences that should have been exciting and enriching. After contemplating my career choice, I went back and thought about why I wanted to become a teacher in the first place to see if pursuing the career would still be worth it.
The realization hit me hard. I never intended to become a teacher for the money or the benefits. I never expected a position that didn’t have struggles. Really, I chose this position because of the struggles. I chose to become a teacher because I wanted to help ease those struggles. I wanted to create a better learning experience for students where I could make an impact. Have we, as teachers, lost focus on our ultimate goals? Have we forgotten about the students? Have we involved ourselves too much into the negatives that we have disregarded the endless amounts of positives? Can students feel this decline of intrinsic motivation in their teachers too? It’s time that we begin to bring the focus back to the students. I hope to start a movement where teachers can become excited in their positions once again.
I made the decision to become an English teacher because I am an individual led by inspiration and passion, not because I thought it would be a luxurious position. I am inspired by the art of words and I believe that being an English teacher gives me a unique opportunity to stimulate students through reading and writing. I consider inspiration to be a powerful tool as it urges people to experience life creatively with a wide scope and an appreciation for individual perception. These experiences are what sends an impulse down our spines to act and speak out on our ideas, thoughts, and observations. Since inspiration can spark such a strong compulsion in us, I plan to encourage it in my classroom as a catalyst for effective learning. I believe that it is my job to inspire students and create intrinsically motivated learners who are excited and eager to read and write. I do not believe that Scott Walker can strip me or my students of this and I won’t let him.
In addition, constructivists believe that people create their own understanding and knowledge of the world around them. We do this by experiencing different things and then by reflecting on those experiences. Therefore, we are essentially creating our own knowledge; we explore, ask questions, discover, and then assess what we know. I agree with this aspect of constructivism because I believe that students should be in charge of their own learning because then they will be encouraged to develop thinking skills for lifelong, self-directed learning. I believe that students are given an exceptional opportunity to develop and expand their previous knowledge during their time in school. Just like students, no one can define the way I experience things and create ideas. Not an administrator, not a politician, not anyone. Who can diminish by eagerness to teach?
Lastly, I believe that students need love, security, emotional support, and the ability to feel like they are valued in order to perform well at school.I plan to do my best to provide this for my students in the hopes that it will help them learn and behave well.From experience, I have noticed that students reciprocate the behavior of significant people in their lives, so I hope to be a role model for my students with my behavior, attitude, values, attentiveness, etc. I want students to take responsibility of their own behaviors as it is important to their futures as adults. As teachers, we should be showing them positive behaviors and attitudes in our positions not through continual complaints, low energy, or little motivation.
I hope to never lose sight of my goals as a teacher again. I hope to accomplish these things and more and I hope to be a teacher that is efficient in providing the best support for students educationally, emotionally, and creatively.
Teachers, don’t lose sight of your goals in the midst of struggles. Remember why you wanted to become a teacher and remind yourself that YOU can always make an IMPACT. Most importantly, ENCOURAGE others to teach. I challenge all teachers to stand up together to recreate the education system into a positive, encouraging environment.
