What do you think of when you hear the word “teacher”?
I asked eleven current students and this is what they told me: mentor, necessary, motivator, caring, strong, experienced, encouraging, patient, engaging, knowledgeable and informative.
It seems as if kids appreciate teachers, however, many look down upon the profession of teaching. Strangers that I meet will often ask the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Since eighth grade, I have responded to this question with “An elementary school teacher!” Most of the time their responses are along the lines of, “oh… really? You know they don’t make much money right?” or “You are so much smarter than that.” Once, I was even asked, “Why don’t you want to be a doctor instead?” and I’ll never forget the time I was told, “Teaching is easy, makes sense why you would choose that…”
It baffles me that teachers don’t get the respect they deserve because believe it or not, we would be nowhere without our teachers. Teachers taught us the basis of everything we know. Of course, some parents teach kids how to read the alphabet and how to count numbers before school starts, but teachers explain how to apply it. Think back to kindergarten… who taught you how to read this sentence with fluidity? To spell the word ‘because’? How to tell time? How to play fair? How to share? These are all things that became a foundation of your everyday life.
In hopes of becoming a first-grade teacher, I am now a college freshman starting in a Dual Degree in Teacher Preparation program and majoring in Sociology at the University of San Francisco.
I am lucky to be blessed with support from my parents who sent me to a great school to achieve my dream. However, some of my family doesn’t approve of my decision to become a teacher. It is hard to want to achieve this dream while feeling like I am disappointing some people in my life, but I know in my heart that this profession will be fulfilling for me and helpful to society as a whole.
I have always enjoyed talking to kids instead of adults or people my own age. Their curiosity and smiles show me that there is hope for our world to become a safer and happier place. I believe that teachers have the power to teach their students much more than academics. So I want to obtain the authenticity and responsibility to change the life of at least one child. If I can do that, I will have shaped a future leader of the world. It sounds cliché, I know, but that is what I am destined to achieve. I have always admired my teachers for their work. It takes patience, kindness, imagination and passion for being a successful teacher. My own elementary school teachers have impacted my life tremendously, some of which I still keep in touch with. I hope that one day I can impact a child the same way.
And that is why I want to be a teacher.
