Education is a necessity in our society. We grow into who we're meant to be through learning and in schools. It is a crucial part of what makes us intellectual human beings and there's always a strong need for more educators in schools around our country, yet there's a strong and negative social stigma of becoming a teacher.
When growing up, I'd always talk about being an artist or something of the sort, but as I entered into high school, I felt like my true calling was in the Education Department. Whenever I was in a sort of family or social setting and would be asked what I was thinking of doing for my career, I would say teaching. Teaching and becoming a teacher has such a different response than that of other majors or careers out there. Fellow students my age would laugh and wonder why I would want to do such a thing. I even knew a specific teacher in school that would laugh whenever they heard a student say they were thinking of going into education, "Why would you want to go into teaching? The pay is so little and the students are a pain, the only perk is essentially having so much time off." It wasn't just this one teacher telling me that my intended career was a mistake, it was friends and even family at times. It isn't just one or two instances either, as I've had so many people continue to talk down and belittle my future career.
I decided to go into Education when I got into my sophomore year of high school. I had an English teacher that made me actually enjoy English again, as well as actually care about learning and my grades. This teacher made me want to go into English Education. It's teachers like this that inspire those students to go on and do great things. All it can take is one great teacher to ignite a flame in a student to completely change their life.
It's sad how many people discourage those who wish to become teachers. No matter who we say our major to, we almost always hear a, "You know they don't get paid much right?" or a "The amount of debt you'll have in loans will take forever to pay off with that salary." Most people that are going into teaching don't care that much about the money because most of us aren't in it for the pay. Yes, we know that we aren't likely going to make the most amount of money possible. But that isn't going to defer those who feel like they're meant to become teachers.
We choose to go into teaching because we love the idea of learning, teaching, bettering, and helping students. We see there's a potential to help grow those students that need someone to care about them. We are passionate about teaching and what we teach and want to help those students develop a passion for what we love. We aren't becoming teachers for ourselves, but for those we teach and educate. Because of the moment when a student finally understands a concept they're struggled with. Some of the Education majors I know are absolutely the epitome of what a great teacher should be. They're understanding, patient, kind, and knowledgeable in their chosen field. They know that like with all jobs, there will always be ups and downs, but despite this, they're beyond excited to start their careers.
We understand that the pay isn't too high, that we're dealing with students all day long, and that days will be long and frustrating at times. But we look forward to all the possibilities that is in store for the students we long to teach. We're excited to work in a school all day and essentially never leave and never stop learning. Bottom line, don't discourage those looking into becoming a future educator, you could possibly scare away the future teacher that could make a massive difference in your child's life.
