“Am I too smart to be a teacher?” I had never asked myself this question until recently when it dawned on me that I’ve basically been told “yes” to this question countless times. Though, mostly it’s been said subliminally as “you have so much drive and such a great mind” in response to my saying I was studying education. However, one day it was much more aggressive.
The summer before my first year in college, I was standing in line at Panera (sorry friends, to all of us outside the state of Missouri, it’s Panera,) wearing a Mizzou shirt behind a couple with their kids. It was a long line, so to make conversation I told them that their kids were adorable. The father then continued on the conversation and asked if Mizzou was where I was going for college. I've since transferred, but at the time it was, so I nodded. The conversation continued and I told him that I was planning to major in Middle School Math Education. His reply was, “Well if you like math so much, why not be an engineer, or a doctor? That’s what I am. Leave the teaching to the stupid people.” Because he was my elder and we were in a public place, I politely replied “Oh, I get that a lot, but I just really feel called to be a teacher. It’s more about the intrinsic value.” My mind, on the other hand, was blowing up. I was astonished that this man whom I’d never met had the gall to be that disrespectful.
Then I realized how rehearsed my response was. It was something I found myself saying often. I constantly had to justify my desire to be a teacher. What I really wanted to say to him was, “Do you really want stupid people teaching your children?” That’s the real question here: “Does America want inadequate teachers influencing the lives of its children?” Young people spend an average of 12,350 hours in the classroom from kindergarten to 12th grade. Educators have a huge impact on their students, and this impact can certainly be very positive or extremely negative. How often do we find ourselves complaining to our parents about how awful our teachers are?
I’ve wanted to be an educator since freshman year of high school and can’t imagine being happier in any other job. I’ve spent time in the classroom as a teacher’s assistant and tutor, and felt so at home. I’ve been fortunate to receive an exceptional education thus far and I can’t think of anything more rewarding than the opportunity to pass that knowledge on to someone else. If I have the opportunity to inspire just one student to progress in or enjoy math, I will be eternally fulfilled. Since transferring I have decided to major in both Mathematics and Educational Studies. This has been an incredible decision and I feel more prepared than ever. The plan now is to teach high school math.
As an open note to all future educators: it is our duty to never tire, never stop wanting to teach, even in times that seem the most challenging. Our students need that nurturing hand and we’ll never know how much impact that one little smiley face on a graded paper, or bonus point on a test or any sort of praise can mean to a student. So, no, I am not too smart to be an educator. There is no such thing as ever being too smart to do anything (looking at you Mr. Doctor.) We are always learning and always growing, and so are our students.
As an open note all future math teachers: it is our job to stop tweets like the one below from happening.
So here's the moral of the story: math takes effort. I am a good mathematician because I wanted to be, not because it came easy to me. If I had given up after confusion I would barely be passing College Algebra. Instead, I’m majoring in math and have already taken 3 200-level classes and am currently taking 2 more. The human mind is capable of learning whatever we push ourselves to learn. However, a good educator makes a huge difference. As a tutor, something I understand is that teachers need to be aware that students learn in different ways. They might not understand the material the first time or the first way they hear it. It can often take a new visual or new explanation in different words. If I could ask my students one thing it would be to have grit. I would tell them not to give up or doubt themselves or even that they failed. Math is a trial, but it's one that after we succeed opens the door to so many beautiful possibilities. Peace, love, math.
