Teachers are often overlooked and under appreciated in the world of professions. They fall low on the totem pole in terms of perception of importance. I fell victim to this perspective throughout my early educational career, but as I grew up, I began to realize how important teachers truly are. Teachers are the ones who educate everyone in society from the doctors, to the lawyers, to the business owners, and even the future teachers. Without teachers, some of the most famous and intelligent people in history may not have been as successful. People do not realize how influential a teacher is and how essential they are. They prepare their students to be proficient or even professionals of a particular subject, some of which will turn into that student's future career or passion.

I did not realize how important each of my teachers were, until I reached college and declared Elementary Education as my major. When deciding to officially make teaching my future career, one teacher in particular stuck out in my mind. My third grade teacher, who taught me cursive and fostered my love for reading became the person I wanted to emulate. I realized that my dream job is to teach children how to read and write meaningfully just as she did. I remember being in the third grade, practicing my cursive, writing creative fictional stories, and reading almost every book in the school library. This was because of my teacher's enthusiasm and passion for making an impact on her students. I want to encourage the same love for reading, writing, and learning in my students. She is the reason I still love to read and write today. She is the reason I declared English as my minor so I can specifically teach Language Arts to my students someday.

If you are lucky enough to have someone make a significant impact as my third grade teacher had on me, make sure to thank them and pursue your dream with passion.