To all of the young men and women hoping to become a teacher:

Have you ever heard the song, "I believe the children are our future...?" To me, this has become my "mission phrase," as I am in the process of applying to graduate school for Elementary Education. Becoming and being a teacher in the state of Connecticut is not an easy process. The tests are harder, the school work is more difficult, and the shadowing is longer. But the main reason for this is that our state has one of the best education systems. In order for me to strive to be part of the best educators in the country, I must remind myself that being a teacher is a journey — but I am teaching my future. The children that pass through my classroom are not just children; they are future doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, construction workers, police officers, firefighters, maybe even a president. The possibilities are truly endless.

My heart quickly becomes a part of their hearts because they take in everything that I put into my teaching with the most open, malleable minds. Be kind. Be accepting. Be generous. Be open. Work hard. Teach life skills. Teach manners. Make sure they have a clean outfit everyday. Make sure they have brushed their teeth and have eaten breakfast. Do MORE. How they enter your classroom in the morning directly correlates with the kind of day they will be having and how they will take in the information you will be teaching. Make sure the heart that you are giving to your students represents the heart that you wish for them to have. Push them to be the best they can possibly be, and at the same time, be the best you can be. Success strives off of success. Be their bright futures. Push through the difficulties, because the end result makes it all worth it.

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." — Carl Jung