Dear those who think they know everything about my major,
First off, I realize that I won't make a lot of money. I know there are other jobs out there that I can easily do that will allow me to earn more money. I realize that teaching isn't ranked at the top of the money making charts. I could be a doctor, lawyer, office assistant or something more extravagant, but I chose to be a teacher. It wasn't something I've wanted to do since I was little. My mother wasn't a teacher when I was growing up, even though now she is a substitute teacher. My father was not a teacher.
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a police officer or a crime scene investigator. I wanted to do something with law enforcement. There was a police officer who lived right across the street and I watched shows like "Cops," "America's Most Wanted" and "CSI" since I was 9 years old. My father was so excited to know that his little girl wanted to pursue a job in the line of duty. My father is from another country, so when he immigrated in the late 80s, he did not have the same opportunities as a US citizen when it came to college and pursuing your dreams. I'm pretty sure if he had the chance, he would pursue a career in law enforcement, and I think that is why he was so hyped when his kid wanted that.
Deciding to teach wasn't something that happened magically or overnight. It was a complex process with worrying about money, what my dad would think, and trading my "dream" for something I felt called to do.
I had to make sure this was legit. I was put into a cadet teaching position when I was a junior in high school. Imagine one moment of your life completely changing what your life has been up until that point. I've had many of those in my life and this was one of those major ones. Every time I filled out one of those papers with everyone's favorite words (sarcasm intended) "What do you want to be when you grow up," I always jotted down something that had to do with law enforcement.
My first day of cadet teaching, I went in with that thought of, "I'm just going to do this to fulfill a school requirement for this semester and be done with it." Well, long story short, that wasn't the thought I had when I was leaving the classroom at the end of the day. When I left that classroom that day, I felt the call to teach. I kind of initially pushed the thought in the back of my mind, thinking I had just let the day get to me. However, as the days went on, I felt the draw more and more to teach for the rest of my life. I knew that it was what I was supposed to do.
Some are called to be nurses, social workers, auto mechanics, the CEO of big companies. Some are called to be stay-at-home moms or shepherd a church. Whatever you feel led to do, do it. Don't let anyone try to convince you not to do what you feel called to do. That passion inside of you is what's going to get you through the years of college and those assignment loads that seem to be too much. It's what will get you through people trying to talk you out of it. God has called everyone to do a work in their lives that only they can fulfill. Go after what you want with your whole heart.
"You can do something else no one else can do in a way no one else can do it" -Max Lucado
