Choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life is a tough decision, and sometimes we don’t always get it right on the first try. Going into college my freshman year, I had my heart set on becoming a nurse. It was during this year that I realized that nursing truly wasn’t where my heart was, and that a change was what I needed to find the happiness I was looking for. With a lot of time and thought, multiple meetings with my counselor, and even a little soul searching, I found a major and a career that felt much more like home to me: teaching.

If you've ever changed you major, then you're familiar with the questions that follow. Many people tell you that they are proud of you for finally choosing to do something that makes you happy, and that one day, you will make a great teacher. Yet, so many others always ask one question, “Why did you chose to switch to teaching?” The answer, however, is a simple one.

I chose teaching because I love it. Being able to work with children and watch them grow is the most amazing thing in the world. When you watch their little minds at work and their imaginations go crazy, it makes you realize that their is so much in life that isn’t worth stressing over. They are so innocent, and they just want to learn how to do anything and everything, and having the opportunity to help them realize their potential is the most rewarding part of being a teacher.

I chose teaching because even though I will be the teacher, the kids teach me how to become a better person. Teaching small children with such positive outlooks on life just makes you see that there is always good in life, even when it seems like everything's falling apart. Little children always choose to see the best in a situation, and being surrounded by that is what makes you realize that it’s just a bad day, not a bad life. They may be little, but children are smart, and sometimes they are able to make you realize what you were unable to before, helping you grow as an adult as you help them grow as a child.

Finally, I chose teaching because it’s my passion. When I tell people that I have switched to teaching, I always hear how teachers don’t make any money, and how they work long hours for no reward. But to me, honestly teaching is the biggest reward their is. You don’t chose to teach because you want to make money, you chose to teach because that is where your passion is. You chose to do it because you love seeing the difference that you can make in the life of a child, just by being their teacher.

So the next time that someone asks me what my major is, I will proudly say that I am an Early Childhood Education major, and if you too have the same passion and desire to be a teacher, never be afraid to stand up and be proud of that fact that one day, you too can’t wait for the day that you too are finally able to become a teacher.