Being particularly lucky through my public school career, I was fortunate to have the teachers that I did. I was given great authority figures. A teacher’s job is something that many people don’t understand the complexity of. They can teach, follow the rules, look amazing on paper, but it takes more than that to be a successful teacher. I strongly believe that teachers have a profound impact on their students’ lives. The good teachers inspire their students. They don’t just teach, they educate. They develop personal relationships. From some important authority figures in my life, I was inspired to pay it forward and one day become a teacher myself.
One person in particular taught me a lot about teaching, even though she was never a teacher of mine. The first and most important person to inspire me to become a teacher myself was my mother. She has been an early elementary teacher for nearly ten years now. Every summer since she’s been teaching, she has taught a class in August. This class is centered towards creating an easier transition for kids starting school who may not be quite ready. I have been helping out with this class every summer since I was eleven. For eight years now I have worked alongside my mom.
From her, I have learned crucial teaching strategies that are very hard to learn without the first-hand experience. I have learned that it is important to be a disciplinary and be firm, but to balance that with being fun and silly. She constantly has her students engaged, laughing, and often genuinely excited about learning. She has their undivided attention; this takes extreme talent with a group of 20 to 35-year-olds. She is always organized and prepared. This gives out a sense of structure that is important for young children to have. Observing how my mom does her job will be very beneficial to me. I someday hope to teach younger kids and when I do, I will take so much valuable information from her.
My friends and family often tell me that I am a natural teacher. They can easily see me making a career out of it. However, I would not be who I am without the teachers that I have had in my life, including my mom. They have taught me that it takes so much more than knowledge of the subject one is teaching. It is because of my mom and the many wonderful teachers I’ve had that taught me to be a teacher myself. I know from them that successful teachers are able to connect on a deeper level with their students. Teachers hold a large amount of responsibility when it comes to educating their students. I accept the fact that as a future educator, I will not hold a substantial impact on every one of my students' lives, but that won’t stop me from trying. I strongly believe that their impact in their students’ lives change how they grow up, and even who they end up being.
