My dream in life has always been simple. Ever since my kindergarten teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’ve known. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. It wasn’t until high school that I decided what I wanted to teach, which is high school English. I have always been so amazed with teachers, they go through so much every single day and still (for the most part) have a smile on their faces. Teachers have such an important job in this country: they help educate and shape the youth that may one day grow up to be valuable assets to our country.

Teachers are inspiring. They grow up going to school just like everyone else, go to college (yay more school), graduate and then go back to school to begin their career. Their entire life practically takes place in a school environment. Teachers get to decide what their classrooms look like, what pieces of the curriculum they will emphasis and which they will not, and they get to know a whole lot of students. That is one of the most exciting things about becoming a teacher to me. I can’t wait to get to know my future students. I look forward to learning about their lives, their goals, and their dreams. I hope that I help them to be able to achieve their goals and dreams, too.

A lot of people laugh when they ask me what my major is. “You’re not going to make any money,” “I could never do that,” and “Well, at least you have summers off” are the most common responses I get when I reply that I am an education major. I can’t stand when people say these things. I am 110 percent aware of the money that I will likely make. This did not influence my decision, nor will it ever. No amount of money can change my mind; I want to be an educator. I want to be able to help students grow and see the light bulb turn on when they finally understand a new concept. Money has nothing to do with that.

Teaching is not for everyone and that is the honest truth. I’ve had plenty of college friends that began as education majors and switched rather quickly. Education isn’t all rainbows and smiles, it’s long hours, sleepless nights, curriculum, assessment, grading, stress, lesson plans, IEPs, and so much more. Not many people truly know how much really goes into being a teacher, and some people just aren’t cut out for it. I hope that I am. While being in college, I have learned a lot about the amount of preparation and thought goes into a year of teaching. People who aren’t education majors will never really understand. Education is a totally different world than other majors. A lot of people simply do not have the patience to be a teacher, putting up with kids for at least eight hours a day can be a real challenge.

And lastly, it drives me absolutely crazy when people act like having summers off is why I chose to be a teacher. Teachers don’t have the summer off. I mean technically they do, but oftentimes they spend the whole summer preparing for the next school year. Many teachers teach summer school, too. That’s usually three to four weeks out of the summer. The whole month of August is usually spent locked up in their classroom, preparing curriculum and straightening up their rooms. There is so much that goes into a teacher being prepared to take on the first day, first week, first month, and so on of school. Growing up, it was usually easy to identify which teachers were prepared for class and which were just throwing their lessons together. The latter is nothing that I want to be. So no, I will not have summers off. I will be working to be a better teacher and be better prepared for the next school year all summer long.

The number one reason that I want to be a teacher is because I want to help my students be successful, find their confidence, and move one step closer to following their dreams. I can’t wait to see my students get excited to learn, and be happy and proud of themselves when they finally conquer a difficult concept. I want to ignite the fire that is deep inside them to want to learn. I want to make a difference. So yes, I am an education major, and I am proud to be one.