For as long as I can remember, I've loved being around kids. When my little brother was born, I wasn't jealous, I was fascinated. I loved watching him learn. When he started school, I would hang out with his friends more often than I did my own. He and my cousins played school in my grandparents' attic, with me as the teacher. I was a volunteer at my elementary school's camp for two years in a row, and both times I was in charge of the youngest campers. So, it's no surprise that I decided to go into education.

Though it felt like an inevitable choice to me, I've heard so many people tell me why I shouldn't have made it. They remind me about how little I'll be paid, how many tests I'll have to take, and all the time I'll have to spend in grad school just to be certified. They don't understand how anyone could want to spend most of their time with snot-nosed five year olds. On the flip side, there are far too many people who think being a teacher is easy; people who think I'll have summers off and afternoons to myself, and that my job is to be nothing more than a babysitter.

This couldn't be father from the truth. Just the two hours I spend volunteering at an elementary school leaves me exhausted; when I was a camp counselor I would come home and nap. It's not easy. It's tiring and hard. Sometimes the press of grad school and the thought of the many tests I'll be taking makes me feel like I'm suffocating; but all I need to do is remember one kid. Just one. Whether it's the little girl who I sat with every week to help her with her homework (and now calls me her number one favorite teacher) or the boy who struggles with getting his homework done in a certain amount of time but is really good with numbers. Every single one of these kids mean something. I'm not saying I love them all. I'm well aware that I'll meet kids who are impossible to get to. I'm okay with that. Every child is special in some way. I know all of them have the potential to do great things.

Some people wonder why I chose the younger grades as opposed to high school or college, where I could focus on something specific (like my other major, English). I love talking about book, and I loved my English classes in high school, but teaching young kids puts me in a unique position to help foster a love of learning that can last a lifetime. Early childhood is a small bracket, and these kids' minds are whirring in a million different directions. I want to be the one who helps them understand that there are so many different ways to learn the material. Some kids learn better visually, some can hear an explanation once and understand it. No teacher should only be able to explain a subject one way.

I want each child that comes into my classroom to leave equipped with all the tools they need to grow. They will learn all the basics in my classroom, not just how to count, read, and write, but also how to have healthy relationships. This may seem too complex for five year olds, but the basis of all relationships can be boiled down to what we all learn in those early years, whether it's what to do when someone makes you angry or how to make friends. Kindergarten teachers don't just teach kids academics; they teach them life lessons. We are the ones the kids go to when something is wrong at home. Sometimes, we are the only ones who can help when a student is in a serious situation. All it takes is one person to change that child's life.

I've been in so many classrooms as a student, and I learned so much, from so many teachers who were not only passionate about what they were teaching, but also genuinely cared about each and every student. That's the kind of teacher I want to be. The thought of standardized tests and grad school still make me anxious, and when I leave the classrooms I volunteer in, I'm exhausted. I know I'm probably going to be tired for the rest of my life. I'm going to get frustrated and burnt out and wonder what I'm doing. When that happens, I will remind myself to think about the light that goes on in the student's eyes when they finally understand a math problem, or getting a hug or high five at the end of the day. Seeing them learning and hearing them say how much I help them reminds me that I have chosen a noble profession. My job is one of the most important ones out there. I am educating young minds. I'm helping them add and subtract, helping them write, putting Band-Aids on scrapped knees, wiping noses, and making sure they all have a good home life. I am a superhero. These kids depend on me, and I will not let them down.