There are certain careers in life that are purely for the feeling you get out of it--teaching being one of them. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I realized I wanted to work with kids and become a teacher. It is so much more than being in a classroom all day, reiterating the same lessons to different class periods. I have yet to teach, still being an undergrad, but I have had my fair share around students thus far. It is about the experience and feeling of gratitude you get from educating today’s children.

Throughout my school career, I have had a few great teachers who have ignited a fire in me for learning. They are the inspiration for becoming an educator. Just as they have inspired me, I want to have the same impact on my future students.

During my freshman and sophomore year of college, my major was special education. I had the opportunity to go back to my old high school and observe and hang out with a group of young adults in the PACE program. PACE stands for Program Approach to Career Employment. It is for students that have graduated high school and are looking to get more experience in the work force. I first learned about this program my senior year of high school, when it was introduced at my school, West Career and Technical Academy. It was a great way for these young adults to learn life skills they needed in and out of work and provide them with an opportunity that many students with disabilities do not have the pleasure of receiving. I had the pleasure of being around and working closely with these students for about a year and a half. As well as seeing them in action at school, I volunteered at an Opportunity Village campus and got to see them working in action! I have never seen so many people having fun while working. You could tell they thoroughly enjoyed their jobs and worked diligently. They are there because they want to feel included. They want the same opportunities everyone else has. While many of us are struggling to ace a test, they just want the chance to have a real job (which most of us complain about every day!). It was a great lesson that I learned along my journey of being a special education major.

(Me and Julius, previous PACE student)

Working with these students gave me a new perspective and reasoning on why I am becoming a teacher. We obviously do not do it for the money, but for the reward. The reward of waking up each day knowing you can make a difference in a child’s life; knowing you could be the reason a student is feeling inspired to do good on their homework and assignments, or even being a child’s favorite teacher and them loving coming to class because you make it enjoyable. I want to achieve that goal and I want to make a difference; create a foundation for my students to build upon. That is WHY I (want to) teach.

As teachers, we will get students from all walks of life; some with learning disabilities, some that have a hard home life, and some that have no motivation to learn. It is our job to create a solid base for these students and help them succeed and be successful.

I have many plans on how I want to run my classroom and how I want to be the best role model I can be to my students. Making a difference can be the easiest part, just by showing up and being that supportive and loving person that kids need. And along this journey, they won’t be the only ones inspired. My career will allow me to grow as an individual and my students will make a difference in my life.

“A teacher presents the past, reveals the present and creates the future” -unknown